What's My Name Again?
by Austin B
Summary: A girl wakes up in the forest, with no memory of her life. Does she belong there? And who will help her remember, the Prince of Mirkwood, a palace guard, or someone from her past? LOC
1. Awakening

A/N...my second posted LOTR fanfic. I think it is different than what's been done. But I live on reviews, so feed me!  
  
Chapter 1 – Awakening  
  
She opened her eyes and found herself lying on her side in the grass. She rolled onto her back, and immediately regretted such movement, for a searing pain suddenly sprang up in her temples, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. Her hand went to her forehead, where she felt dried blood and a large gash surrounded by an area of sensitive, swollen flesh. She gasped in pain and jerked her hand away. After a while, she got the courage to attempt opening her eyes again. The pain had dulled, and did not come back as strong when she moved.  
  
Slowly, she sat up, and swiveled her head around. It seemed she was in a clearing. It was large, and almost perfectly circular. At the borders, a dense forest loomed, dark and uninviting. The grass in the clearing was warm and green, and felt good on her fingers. Among the grass of the clearing, a large gray boulder sat, looking quite out of place, about five feet away from her, and five feet from the forest on the other side.  
  
After she had fully taken in her surroundings, a thought came to her. 'How did I get here?' After that popped into her head, other questions flooded, as if the dam had been broken by the first. Among those questions were 'Where is this place?' and infinitely more baffling, 'Who am I?' For she had no recollection of her name or anything else about her. This worried and panicked her profoundly.  
  
When she realized no amount of thinking would help her recall, she turned her attention to her own body. She was wearing blue denim pants and a long sleeved, button down, black shirt with a collar and cuffs. She wore black three inch heeled shoes. 'At least I have good taste.' She thought with a chuckle, taking her hair out from the ponytail it was in. It was long enough that she could pull some of the brown locks in front of her face. There were many small streaks of blonde in the thick, soft tresses.  
  
As she ran her fingers through it, with some difficulty, she tried to remember what she looked like. She touched her face and vaguely recalled her pretty reflection. Breathing a deep sigh of longing to remember, she decided she must take action of some kind. She couldn't sit in this clearing until someone came upon her, to do whatever he pleased. So, she stood up slowly, and looked around for the best path of entry into the forest.  
  
She was loath to go into that forest. It looked bleak and wholly unpleasant. But, there was no other way out, so, she found a place where the trees seemed thinner, and began. The air was chill in the forest, as not much sun shone through the dense canopy. The ground was softer, and littered with leaves and mosses.  
  
She found it very difficult to walk on such soft ground, since her stilettos kept sinking into the dirt. With a frustrated grunt, she yanked them from her feet, and continued barefoot. It was much easier that way, faster, and enjoyable, too. She walked for about an hour, and began to get acquainted with the forest, so to speak. She felt more at ease, and less afraid of the shadows, which had also become less dark since her eyes adjusted.  
  
It was about another hour when she began to tire. She hadn't had this much exercise since her senior cheerleading season, which had been over four years ago. "Hey! I just remembered something!" She called excitedly to herself. "So, we know I was a cheerleader in high school, I graduated four years ago, and I have excellent taste. If I graduated when I was 18, that would make me 22. Now all we need to remember is...everything else."  
  
She plopped herself on a felled tree and sighed. She couldn't stay long. The sun was setting, and she wasn't comfortable enough yet to stay the night with these trees, and the noises she fancied she heard above in the boughs. She hoped to reach a town or a house of some sort before dark. So, she began walking again.  
  
The sinking sun cast a golden glow on the forest floor, wherever it could weasel a way through a hole in the branches above. She began to sing softly to herself, a song that she hadn't remembered hearing, but somehow knew all the words.  
  
I'm tired  
  
Cynical and broken, but wiser Heavy with a sense of resentment But I used to be so much different  
  
I used to have so much faith  
  
When I started  
  
You knew that I always meant it I knew I could make a difference I struggled to be heard And then finally one day people started listening  
  
The song had a haunting melody, and mirrored what she had begun to feel; hopeless. She would never get out of this forest. Not alive, anyway.  
  
As if on cue, she heard something heavy sling down from the trees directly behind her, making a wind that rustled her hair. She spun around to be face to face with eight gleaming red eyes. They belonged to a giant, hairy, black, upside down spider. It hung by a thread from the trees above. It had to be at least three times as big as her. Upon seeing it, her eyes widened, and she drew in a sharp breath, freezing in her place.  
  
She didn't know how long she stood like that, staring into the face of the epitome of her greatest fears. But the spider's fangs slowly began protruding from its mouth. They dripped with venom, ready to inject into its helpless prey. Without warning, she let out an ear piercing scream, and tore away, with no heed to her direction. She heard it drop from its thread to the forest floor, and scurry after her. Which only increased the adrenaline flowing in her veins, causing her legs to pump even harder, carrying her away from her threat.  
  
But two legs are not as good as eight, and before long, she heard it closer behind her. She was exhausted, and her pace started to slow. 'This is it' she thought. She was going to die. She'd either trip, or slow down enough so that it would take her, and stab her with its hideous fangs. She'd probably die from heart attack of fright before it even got its ugly teeth into her.  
  
As she was contemplating the means of her death, she thought she heard, over her pounding heart and crunching twigs, the light sound of arrows whizzing through the air. A dreadful shriek came from behind her, but she did not stop, though her pursuer had. It had to be five more minutes she ran, before collapsing in exhaustion. She leaned against a tree, her chest heaving uncontrollably. Her vision grew spotty, and her head felt light. She slid to the ground, and before she fell into unconsciousness, thought she heard soft footsteps approaching her. 


	2. Tyron

Chapter 2 – Tyron  
  
Her eyes rolled around in her head before they found the right direction to look out. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she found herself being carried honeymooner style through the forest by a strange man. Though he did not look down at her, he sensed her body tense, and knew she was awake. "Are you hurt?" He asked, looking straight ahead. "N-No." She stuttered.  
  
The man had long, pin straight sandy blonde hair. His skin was light and fair, and he wore a light brown tunic under a darker brown cloak. Though he was the first person she could remember ever coming into contact with, she thought his appearance a bit strange.  
  
"I can walk." He looked at her. For the first time, she got a good look at his face. His dark blue eyes pierced into her emerald greens. They held a strange look. Somewhat amused, and somewhat surprised. Nonetheless, he dropped her legs and swung her to her feet. She wobbled and reached out to him for support. He placed a hand on her lower back, and the other on her stomach. That didn't help much. He steadied her, but his touch made her legs shake.  
  
"Are you sure?" "Yes." She said, determined. She took a deep breath and started walking. Not entirely sure where, she looked back to the man for direction. He had not started walking with her. He seemed a little taken aback. Not sure what to think of her. But upon her questioning look, he walked to and past her, and she followed.  
  
He never looked back to make sure she was there, but he asked question after question. "What is your name?" "Where have you come from?" "Why are you in this forest?" And to all, she answered timidly, "I don't know." He didn't push it further, he simply accepted her answers, as if they explained everything.  
  
She stopped in fear when they reached where the spider had fallen. Dark, near black blood pooled around it. There were about ten arrows, she guessed, sticking out of it. The man had kept walking around it, as if it wasn't there. She noticed he had a quiver and bow on his back. "Did you do this?" She asked him, walking cautiously around the oversized arachnid. "Some of it. The others helped." "The others?"  
  
As she asked, she saw five men on white horses approaching through the trees. One of them led another horse, and she assumed it was for the man with her. "Did you find the nest?" The man with her asked the others. The one in front answered, "Yes, and many were felled, but I am sure some escaped in the mass." The man with her nodded, and swung himself easily onto his snow white steed.  
  
"Who is this?" The man in front asked. The man with her answered with a half smile, "I don't know." He looked down at her with a twinkle in his eye and extended his hand. She reluctantly took it, and he swung her behind him. Quite surprised, she held his waist tightly. The man whispered something in a different language into the horse's ear, and it sprang lightly away, followed closely by the others.  
  
The trees whizzed by, and the horse's pace never faltered. Before long, they came to a large field. At the Northern end, there was the back of a great stone house. To the left and behind the house a little, there was a large wood building. The company made for it, and she guessed it was the stable.  
  
She was right. The others put their horses away, and the man in front of her jumped off. He held his arms out to her, and she looked down at him confused. 'How am I gonna work this?' She twitched her nose in thought before reaching down, placing her hands on his shoulders and sliding off the horse's bare back. His arms wrapped around her waist as he guided her down.  
  
"Thank you." She said, a little embarrassed, and she avoided his gaze. "Come, I must take you to the King." 'The King?? Oh sweet mother of love!' Her mind screamed. He must've seen her apprehension, because he took her arm, and wrapped it into the crook of his. She gave him a thankful smile, and he returned it warmly.  
  
As they walked toward the monstrous stone palace, he asked, "So do you really not know your name, or did you just not want to tell me?" She hesitated, not knowing whether to be truthful and have him think her insane, or lie and have him think her untrusting. Since she didn't think she was a liar, or she hoped she was not, she decided to go with the truth. "I really don't know who I am." "I am sorry. That must be frustrating."  
  
Pleased with his understanding, she replied, "Immensely. But you surely know your name. Why not share it with me?" She smiled. "Apologies, miss. I am Tyron, son of Eadoin of Mirkwood." The place Mirkwood sounded strangely familiar to her, though she did not know why. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Tyron son of Eadoin of Mirkwood." She stuck her hand out to shake his, as if by second nature. He looked strangely at her a moment, then took her hand and kissed it. She thought he was just being romantic, and it didn't occur to her that that was simply the custom.  
  
"Well, what shall I call you, then?" Tyron asked. She thought a moment, "Give me a name." "You would trust me to give you a name?" She smiled. "Yeah. You did save my life. Thanks for that, by the way." "T'was my pleasure, milady." She giggled. 'He's so old fashioned.'  
  
"Well, I think you should be called Kamilah." "That's pretty. I like it." He looked sheepishly at his feet, "It means perfection." She half smiled at him in awe. She couldn't remember the last time someone complimented her so sincerely. But, then again, she couldn't remember anything. "Thank you." He nodded.  
  
They had come around to the front door of the palace. The guards nodded silently to Tyron, and he to them, and they opened the heavy wooden door. They entered a large stone hall, lavishly decorated in green and gold tapestries. On the spacious North wall hung a portrait. A man sat on a large regal looking chair. He had long blonde hair, like Tyron, but upon his brow sat a circlet of gold, inlaid with green jewels.  
  
It was somewhat intimidating, his gaze. But Kamilah found it mesmerizing at the same time. She figured it was the King. He was quite attractive, and Kamilah noticed something interesting before Tyron led her away. The man's ears. They were pointed. It didn't seem like a defect or mistake of nature, it looked as if they fit on him. Kamilah put a hand to her ear. It was round. Just like she expected it to be.  
  
Though she couldn't remember anyone ever saying round ears were normal, it just seemed that was accepted. Kamilah looked to Tyron on her right. His ears were pointed, too! Feeling confused, he led her down a corridor off to the right. They took so many turns and corners that she soon lost all sense of direction. Suddenly, the corridor opened up into another large hall. This one looked much homier than the first. It had beautifully decorated rugs and tapestries covering nearly all the gray stone.  
  
On one side of the hall, three steps led to a stone platform on which a two throne seats were placed. Several people were standing by the door and next to each throne. In the middle of the hall, several comfy looking leather chairs were placed around each of the four round wood tables. Against all the other walls, bookcases were lined, and filled with books. Kamilah's mouth gaped. The room was so beautiful, she could not keep her head from swiveling all around as Tyron led her to the bottom of the three steps.  
  
He nudged her in the side with his elbow to get her attention. He was looking up the steps at the people seated at the thrones. One was the man Kamilah recognized to be the man from the portrait in the first hall. The other was an exceptionally beautiful woman. Her long straight blonde hair fell glittering on her shoulders, and her arms rested regally on the arms of the throne. She was wearing the most beautiful light blue gown Kamilah had ever seen...although she couldn't really remember ever seeing any gowns before.  
  
Tyron spoke, "My Lord. My Lady." He nodded to them both, respectively, and they nodded back slightly. "On our ride back from Rivendell, we found this young human being chased by a spider. She must've been hurt before, for she cannot recall her name, or anything about how she came to be in your forest." Kamilah dropped her eyes to the floor in shame. How stupid she must look to them!  
  
The King spoke. His voice seemed melodic to Kamilah and she could not help but look in his eyes. "Do not fret, young one. You may stay here until you regain your memory, and long after if you wish." All Kamilah could do was nod in appreciation. Her voice could not be found under the King's gaze. "But we must give you a name. I cannot keep calling you young one." The King said with a smile. "I am calling her Kamilah." Tyron said. The King and Queen both grinned widely at Tyron, upon hearing this. Kamilah saw him blush out of the corner of her eye. "It is fitting." The Queen said.  
  
Kamilah's jaw dropped. To be called perfection by this stunning woman was far more flattering than anything else she would ever hear. "Silvana will tend to your wound and your accommodations." The King said, gesturing to the woman standing beside him. "And Tyron will be your guide to the city until you are familiar enough with it." Tyron nodded and led her away, back out the door, following Silvana.  
  
They were walking back the way they had come, or so Kamilah figured, when she found the right question to ask. "Who were those people?" Tyron laughed. "Those Elves," He corrected, "are King Thranduil and Queen Edeline." Kamilah took a moment to register the information. Her eyes widened. "Elves?" 'That would explain the pointy ears.' She thought. 'No!' She reasoned with herself. 'Elves aren't real!' "Yes, Elves." Tyron chuckled. Kamilah heard Silvana chuckling ahead as well. "I'm sorry if this all seems kinda new to me, but it is! I may need you to explain some things!" "Of course, Kamilah, forgive me. I forget you are not acquainted with the Elven race. Or any race for that matter."  
  
"What other races are there?" Kamilah asked, bewildered. "Well, there are men, I assume you to be of that race, and there are dwarves, orcs, wizards, hobbits, and many others I couldn't name in a thousand years." Kamilah felt a little hint of déjà vu at the mention of hobbits, but she had never heard that word before. "Hm." She mused. "This will take some getting used to."  
  
Silvana abruptly stopped in front of a wooden door, and opened it for her. Tyron hung back outside. "Come in." Kamilah reassured. Silvana entered last and closed the door, immediately sitting Kamilah down on the bed and cleaning and dressing her cut. Kamilah was surprised that the Elvish medicine did not sting her wound at all. Silvana finished and took to busying herself with stocking the room with fresh flowers and linens. She and Tyron stood on the balcony that she was delighted to find. For a while she leaned on the railing, looking out over the city. There were small huts with grass roofs, and larger wooden houses with shingle roofs. A dirt horse path wound through the charming city.  
  
Kamilah suddenly remembered she was not alone. She sat with Tyron at the small wooden table on the terrace and asked him many questions. He answered them all to the best of his ability, never getting annoyed with the ones that were a little simpler, and common knowledge to all but her. In her steady stream of questions, after "What year is it?" (To which the answer seemed a bit odd) she threw in, "Are you married?" He was caught a little off guard, but covered quickly and answered, "No." "Do you have a girlfriend?" "No." She nodded, as if thinking, staring over the balcony.  
  
"Why were you in the forest today, anyway?" "My troop accompanied Prince Legolas to Rivendell." "Why did he go there?" "He insisted on finding this elf maiden, Leona, I think her name was." "So, he wants to marry her?" "I believe so." Kamilah nodded. "Is Rivendell anything like Mirkwood?" "Well, Rivendell is not enclosed in forest, and it has a waterfall. There are many vibrant colored flowers there, but I enjoy the forest more." Kamilah nodded again.  
  
They continued talking long after the stars came out, and Kamilah realized how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten since...well, she didn't know how long, but for sure not since she woke up. She also realized how tired she was. Tyron left and had something sent up to her. Silvana brought it in on a silver tray. She didn't ask what it was, she simply thanked her and dug in.  
  
After she ate her fill, she washed her face in the basin of warm water Silvana had brought. There was a night gown hanging in the bathroom, and Kamilah thankfully slipped it on. Her clothes were dirty and torn from the chase through the forest. She flopped onto her bed, intending only to lie thinking for a moment. But she couldn't keep her eyelids open. The bed was so soft and she was so tired that she fell unconscious mere seconds after lying down. 


	3. The First Breakfast

Chapter 3 - The First Breakfast  
  
Kamilah opened her eyes to see the sunlight gleaming through her window. Silvana was bustling about, drawing a bath. Kamilah sniffed the air. The oils Silvana used in the bath smelled like berries. The scent woke Kamilah fully, and she sat up and swung her legs off the bed.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Kamilah." "Just Kamilah is fine. And good morning to you, too, Silvana." Silvana gave Kamilah a little curtsy, which Kamilah found it quite difficult not to giggle at. She took Kamilah's bandage from her forehead, and gave a proud nod. "I have drawn a bath for you, and if you like I can have breakfast sent up, or you may join the others in the breakfasting hall." "I'd like to eat with the others, I think. And thanks for the bath. I need it." Silvana laughed and bowed out.  
  
Kamilah walked to the washroom and inhaled deeply. The bath looked very inviting. She stripped off her nightgown and climbed into the warm water. Bottles were set on the edge of the tub, and she had to test their consistency to guess which was which. She found what she thought to be shampoo, another bottle of conditioner, and a bar of soap along with another bottle of body wash. They all smelled like a different kind of berry. And she used them all, twice.  
  
When she had finished, she toweled off her hair with a fluffy white towel, brushed it hurriedly, and threw it up with the ponytail she still had on her wrist from yesterday. There was a large mirror in the washroom that covered the whole wall above the marble countertop. Kamilah realized she had not looked at her reflection, yet. With a bit of apprehension, she wiped the condensation from the mirror with her hand, making a small circular window. She looked closely at herself.   
  
She was not surprised to see a pretty young girl with dark brown hair. Kamilah peered closer into the mirror to look at her complexion. Smooth, yet much darker than Silvana's. Much darker than everyone she's seen as a matter of fact. The Elves' skin was light and evenly toned. Kamilah was very lightly bronzed, with freckles on her nose and her upper cheeks, just under her eyes.   
  
Her eyes. They were a forest green color on the outside, turning hazel toward the dark pupil. The inspection continued upward to find dark eyelashes and full, dark, arched eyebrows. She noticed a small red scratch on her forehead to the right, just below the hairline. That Elvish medicine worked wonders! Kamilah took one last look at herself. Her face seemed so familiar to her, yet so new. She sighed and leaned away from the mirror.  
  
She turned to the closed washroom door and found a dress hanging there. It was beautiful; a tan color, very modest, yet beautiful. It fit so perfectly she wondered if they hadn't measured her in her sleep. She twirled in front of the mirror, admiring how it hugged her slim waist, highlighting her curves.  
  
Her stomach grumbled in protest at lack of food, and she patted it. "I'm getting there." Kamilah stepped out her bedroom door and was delighted to find the scent of berries clung to her skin and hair. Her delightedness lasted only a moment, as she remembered how lost she was. How was she ever to get to the breakfasting hall? She looked down the long corridor, one way, then the other. "Silvana?" She nearly whispered. It would've sounded quite pathetic if anyone had heard. She was like a little lost girl, calling for her mommy.  
  
Well, she'd just have to try her luck. Kamilah looked both ways once more, then started off to the left. Nothing down that corridor seemed familiar to her, and she was quite perplexed. She had walked for about five minutes and was about to give up hope when she rounded yet another corner and nearly ran into Tyron.  
  
"Tyron! Thank God! I was beginning to think I'd never see you again!" He simply looked at her in confusion. "I was just coming up to get you for breakfast." "I was making my way down." She answered. "Slowly, but surely." Tyron held out his arm to her, and she set her hand in the crook of his elbow, allowing him to lead her down the hall the way he had came.  
  
Surprisingly, it was only about another half a minute of walking before they came to the breakfasting hall. She had come late, and the room was dotted with Elves here and there. Tyron talked with a servant Elf while Kamilah admired the Elves in the hall. They all looked the same to her, yet they all had something different about them that made watching them always interesting. They were so graceful and elegant, even when they were eating. Kamilah thought it amazing such beautiful creatures existed.  
  
"Would you care to sit?" Tyron asked, with his hand on her arm. "Oh, of course." He led her to one of the many round tables and pulled out a chair for her. She smiled graciously. The servant Elf that Tyron was talking to came back with two plates of delicious smelling food. It gave off a wonderful steaming aroma, and she found it tasted even better than it smelled.  
  
She must've looked awful, because after the first bite, she realized she was hungrier than she'd thought, and couldn't get the food in her belly fast enough. After a while, she slowed, and took notice of Tyron, staring at her. A burning blush immediately rose to her face, and she took a drink of her wine, delicately. She dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin and said, "You have a wonderful cook."  
  
He must've thought she was either stupid or hilarious, because he burst into a fit of laughter. At first, Kamilah was hurt. She thought he was laughing at her. Well, really he was, but in good humor. He saw her hurt look and managed to say, between chuckles, "Forgive me…I just have never seen someone so small eat like such a horse!"  
  
Kamilah's jaw dropped. He just called her a horse! Against her will, an uncontrollable smile spread across her face and she laughed with him. She had to admit she ate like an animal when in need. Once, she even ate an entire cheesecake by herself!  
  
"Oh!" Kamilah exclaimed, as their laughter quieted. "I just remembered something!" "What did you remember?" Tyron asked, wiping his eyes. "I remembered that once, I ate a whole cheesecake in one sitting. Even after supper!" "Cheesecake?" Tyron asked, unknowingly. "You don't know what cheesecake is?" He shook his head. Kamilah sighed heavily. No cheesecake. That was her favorite dessert in the whole world. And she'd have to do without it for a while.  
  
A/N okay, completely pointless chapter, I know. Not a lot really 'happened', but Kamilah is remembering more, and she and Tyron are spending more time together.   
  
Sorry if it was kinda stupid, the next one will be much, much more interesting I promise! 


	4. Reunion

A/N .. you know how I said I live on reviews? Well, I'm starving. And a starved brain cannot write…if you get my meaning.  
  
nilimade - really big  
  
Chapter 4 - Reunion  
  
In Which We Meet Legolas  
  
After breakfast, Tyron insisted he show Kamilah around the city. So, they walked, arm in arm along the horse path she had seen the night before from her balcony. Tyron pointed to buildings along the way, naming off the businesses and homes of elves he knew. Every now and then they'd have to step off the path and let an elf on a horse go by. Tyron would greet him in the Elf language, and he'd repeat it back to him.   
  
Elves on foot also passed by, and Kamilah marveled at their loveliness. Even the commoners had a strange charm to them. It was wonderful. Listening to Tyron speak, though not really hearing, she was content and temporarily forgot her plight. At length, they came upon a thin, rushing river.  
  
Here, Tyron sat on the bank and gestured for her to do the same. She obeyed gladly. "So, what do you know about yourself?" Kamilah thought a moment, "Well, I have great style, in clothes and music, I am deathly afraid of spiders, was a cheerleader, and I love cheesecake. That's about it."   
  
"What if you have a husband?" Tyron asked, rather unexpectedly. "I don't know." Kamilah answered. She wasn't sure about anything anymore. "But let's not talk about me anymore. It just frustrates me. What about you?" "I think you asked me everything you could last night." He said with a chuckle. "Yeah, I'm sorry if I was a bother, I guess I'm a mite curious, too." "A mite? I'd say a mile." He laughed.  
  
Tyron walked her back to her room, giving her little tips on remembering which way to go. He kissed her hand and looked long and deep into her eyes before turning away. Kamilah found herself watching him go. She shook her head with a smile and returned to her room.   
  
Kamilah had been lounging in her room, studying the beautiful craftwork of the walls and bedposts, most of the afternoon. She explored for little gifts the elves left her. There was an ornately decorated hand mirror in the drawer of her vanity. Along with face powder and lipsticks. She examined the large puffball that sat in the bowl of powder. It smelled nice. Like baby powder.   
  
It reminded her of something, a memory that could not quite be recovered. She tapped the puffball to her face. It left a lovely effect. She tapped more and more, until she was surrounded by a cloud of white smoke. She coughed.   
  
Through the white haze, she heard a knock at the door. Quickly putting the powder away and blowing the smoke away, she called for whoever it was to enter. It was Silvana. "Hello Silvana." "Hello Miss Kamilah. Prince Legolas is returning, I thought you may like to see him." "Oh, thanks Silvana! I'd love to!"  
  
Silvana led her down to the streets, where they were already lined with Elves. Kamilah looked around for Tyron, but he was not to be seen. Silvana held her by the wrist, so she'd not get lost in the crowd. She weaved expertly to find a spot right by the roadside. Trumpets sounded, and the Elves hushed their voices and craned their necks to see down the road.   
  
Soon, a host of horses came into view. Two abreast, two rows. The two Elves in front were guards, Kamilah could tell by the uniform they wore. One in the back on the left was also a guard, but the Elf riding next to him was clearly not. He was strangely different. An air about him seemed almost regal. Well, that made sense. Kamilah assumed him to be the Prince.   
  
The Prince had long, glimmering blonde hair that was tied back in the front, and let hang straight on his back. His sky blue eyes could be seen even from a distance, luminous and glinting with pleasure upon seeing his homeland and homefolk. Kamilah found him very taking. As he drew nearer, Kamilah could see more of his face, and she found herself wringing her hands in anticipation of his nearness.   
  
As he passed by her and Silvana, Kamilah's breath caught in her throat. He was even more capturing up close. The details of his face were breathtaking. High cheekbones, chiseled jaw line, arched eyebrows. But there was a somber look to his face, though. Through the joy at being home, a solemn manner rang through clear as day to her. She wondered what could have displeased him so, to put such a look on the handsome Elf's face.  
  
Then she remembered Tyron saying he had accompanied the Prince to Rivendell to see his lady, Lana, or something like that. Something must have gone wrong with her. Kamilah was surprised that she felt glad at this, the Prince's love interest going awry. She internally rebuked herself, and realized Silvana had been talking to her.  
  
"Fair Elf, wouldn't you say, Miss Kamilah? Miss Kamilah?" "Hm? Oh, yes, very fair indeed." Silvana laughed. "Indeed so fair as to catch your eye." "I beg your pardon, my eye has not been caught!" Kamilah said, with friendly scolding.  
  
The Prince and his company had made their way to the palace, and the Elves had started to disperse back to their homes and shops. Silvana and Kamilah decided to wander around a bit; it was a beautiful day.   
  
So, they aimlessly walked, chatting now and then about Silvana's life. But they were mostly silent, enjoying nature and the lovely weather. Then, Silvana's head turned quickly behind them, thought Kamilah had heard nothing. She turned to see what Silvana was looking at, and found Tyron jogging up to them. A smile grew on her face, instantly. "Tyron! What brings you here?" She asked as he reached them.   
  
"I saw you walking, and thought I'd join you, if that's alright." "Of course it's alright with me. You, Silvana?" Kamilah asked with a smile. "Actually, I was just about to suggest we turn back. I have a lot to do, but as long as Tyron is guiding you, you can continue." Silvana said with a mischievous smile. Kamilah knew what she was doing. "See you later!" Kamilah called after her as she waved goodbye.  
  
"Did you see the Prince?" Tyron asked her. "Yes, I did!" Kamilah said excitedly. "It was amazing. I'd never seen royalty before…at least I don't think I have. I looked for you, but couldn't find you." "Yes, I was on duty in the palace." She nodded, and they continued walking.  
  
Kamilah was about to ask where they were going when they had started to ascend a hill, but her words were caught, when she saw a figure come into view on the crest of the mound. She immediately recognized the dead straight ultra-light blonde hair hanging on the Elf's back. The Prince was standing on the top of the hill, looking out over the forest. Kamilah had stopped dead in her tracks, as had Tyron. They would've turned and hurried away, but the Elf had heard the two approach and spun around.  
  
Kamilah was quite embarrassed to have come upon him this way, but she could not avert her gaze. He was too striking not to look at. Their gazes met, and her heart fluttered. A strange look came over the Prince's face. Joyful surprise and happy astonishment. Kamilah and Tyron both found this very odd, since neither had ever spoken to him.  
  
"Leyna!" He exclaimed. Before she or Tyron could say, "You must be mistaken." The Prince had rushed to her and swept her up in a passionate kiss. Kamilah could not have pulled away, even if she wanted to. His strong arms held her waist tightly. She marveled at his fervor. How could one love another so much? The feel of his warm lips on hers made her weak in the knees and light in the head. He smelled like the forest, and tasted like wild berries.  
  
Finally, much to Kamilah's dismay, Legolas broke the kiss. He took her face in his hands, "You little minx, you! Coming to see me! I was so worried about you, mellamin!" She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. She was surprised to hear Tyron, standing beside her, speak. She had forgotten he was even there!   
  
"Apologies, Prince Legolas, you must have Kamilah mistaken for someone else." "Kamilah?" He asked, removing his hands from her face. He looked down to her, for answers. Kamilah glanced to Tyron, then back to Legolas. His eyes were so piercing. After a moment of silence, his beautiful brow furrowed. "Leyna? Why does he call you Kamilah?" "Um…" She said, embarrassedly looking at her feet. "Because that is my name. I am not this Leyna you speak of."  
  
Prince Legolas was not to be put off. "You are the mirror image of the Elf I saw not two weeks ago in Rivendell." "I have never been to Rivendell, and I am not an Elf." She tucked her hair behind her round ears, to prove her point. Legolas's eyes widened. "What have you done to your ears?" "Nothing! I woke up in your forest yesterday afternoon with no memory whatsoever of who I am!" Kamilah raised her voice in frustration.  
  
"Then how do you know you are not Leyna?" Legolas asked quietly. Kamilah's forehead wrinkled with thought. Then it dawned on her. "Oh my God! Maybe I am!" "You are, mellamin. I have memorized every detail of your face, I could not mistake you for someone else." Legolas said lovingly, as he slipped his arms around her waist, stepping closer to her.  
  
Tyron was not pleased with the whole situation. No, he did not like it one bit. It was evident in his face as he pulled Kamilah away from Legolas. "Apologies again, my Prince, but Kamilah is not an Elf, remember." Legolas looked to Tyron with annoyance. "If such a disaster could make her forget her life, it could certainly change her exterior as well." Tyron was silent. He knew the Prince was right, whatever tragedy befell Kamilah, it would surely be enough to alter her appearance ever so slightly.  
  
Kamilah studied the ground, letting the new information sink in. Her name was Leyna. The Prince of Mirkwood was in mad, irrefutable, endless love with her. She had been in Rivendell. She had lived there. She does live there! So many questions were swirling in her head, she reeled from the magnitude of the revelation. Both Tyron and Legolas placed a hand on her to steady her. "I need to think." She whispered and immediately sprinted off toward the palace, leaving Tyron and Legolas on the hill watching her run away.   
  
Both were quite confused. Tyron, at the fact that Kamilah may truly be this Leyna, in which case, she'd be unattainable to him. Legolas, at the fact that his love did not remember him, or anything of her life for that matter. Who was this man she was with, anyway?   
  
"Pardon me, but may I inquire as to your name, good Elf?" "I am Tyron, a palace guard. It was I who found Ka…Leyna in the forest yesterday evening." "Well then I owe you a great deal Master Tyron. You saved Leyna's life, therefore, saving mine. I thank you and honor you and yours. If there is ever anything you need, simply ask, I will not forget what you have done for me."   
  
"Thank you, my Prince." Said Tyron, insincerely, bowing. He was angry that Kamilah would surely be taken away from him.  
  
Legolas nodded and walked toward the palace. His mind was also swimming with questions. Upon his arrival in Rivendell, Leyna's father said they had had a fight the night before, and she had run off somewhere, and has not returned. Legolas searched the woods surrounding the city, as her father said he also did, but Leyna was nowhere to be seen. Legolas was worried sick about her. His stomach had been in knots since that day, untied only upon seeing Leyna's face again.   
  
He guessed Leyna had run toward Mirkwood, toward him, after she fought with her father. He was very surprised that she had made it so far in such a short time. She was on foot, and Leyna was not one to live off her own devices. She may have had help on the way, but he could not ask her about it yet, for it seemed not even she knew.   
  
On her journey, something terrible must've transpired to make her lose all memory of someone so important to her as him. He just hoped he could jog her memory enough that she remembered the promise she made to him. He did not think he could live without her.  
  
Kamilah had run all the way to the palace. She panted and slowed to a walk when she reached the halls. Remembering the tips Tyron had taught her, she found her room easily. She burst through her door, slamming it behind her, and fell into her pillows. Kamilah could not help feeling lost. Lost and confused. Here, Legolas was telling her who she was, and she had to admit it was a very real possibility. He seemed so sure of it. She wasn't entirely sure she didn't want to be Leyna, judging from that kiss.   
  
But she didn't know if she really was her. She didn't know who she really was. It left an empty space inside her that she was constantly on the brink of filling. Words and smells and sounds reminded her of things, and their names were always just on the tip of her tongue. But they never came out. She didn't know if they ever would.  
  
Kamilah's chin trembled. She clutched her satin pillows and buried her face, soaking them with tears. If she could just remember, everything would be okay. Little did she know, remembering is not always a good thing. 


	5. Added Confusion

A/N…relatively short chapter  
  
Chapter 5 - Added Confusion  
  
Kamilah woke in the night, still clutching her pillows. There was a pitcher of ice water and a glass cup next to her bed. Silvana had been here. Kamilah sighed. 'She must be wondering what happened.' Kamilah had slept since the afternoon, and was not tired in the least, despite the darkness. So, she sat on her balcony in deep thought.  
  
So deep was her thought, that at first she did not hear the Elf below calling her name. "Leyna! Pssss Leyna!" She leaned over the rail and could make out Legolas's figure below. "Legolas? What are you doing here?" "I need to talk to you!" "Well, come up, then!"   
  
She watched him disappear around the corner of the palace, coming up to her. A sudden giddiness swept through her. "Oh my God. Oh my God." She kept giggling, as she hurried to the bathroom to check her hair and makeup.  
  
A knock at her door caused her to jump. She had a hand on the doorknob, but had to take a breath before opening it. "Tyron!!" Kamilah nearly screamed, with a dismal frown. "Were you expecting someone else?" He asked, as surprised at her reaction as she was to see him. "Um. No." She said quickly, not sure why she was hiding the fact from him. "May I come in." He asked with a sweet smile. "Um. Sure." Kamilah moved from the doorway to let him past.  
  
"I really wanted to talk to you about this afternoon." He began as Kamilah closed the door and followed inside. "What about it?" She asked innocently. "Well, I know the Prince believes you are this Leyna Elf, but I don't think anyone should decide who you are but you." "I see your point Tyron, I really do. But maybe I need someone to tell me who I am. Because I am clearly not going to remember it on my own. I just want someone to be sure of something about me. And it seems that he is."   
  
"Kamilah, it's not been two days since you woke up. Give it some time. Let yourself figure it out on your own." "I don't want to give it time, Tyron. I want to know who I am, and I want to know now. I feel so empty and so alone!" She said, desperately trying to make him understand. "You're not alone, Kamilah." Tyron said, stepping closer to her.  
  
She looked at him strangely. There was a knock at the door. Neither looked away from the other's eyes. Tyron slid his hands around her waist and leaned closer. Kamilah was too dumfounded to do anything. There was another knock. Tyron's lips met Kamilah's. It sent a strange sensation through her body. Adrenaline? Excitement? Love? Tyron pulled her closer and kissed her more deeply. But then the door opened.  
  
Kamilah opened one eye and peered over Tyron's shoulder to see Legolas standing in the doorway, slack jawed. She pulled away from Tyron quickly. Tyron turned to see Legolas, still gaping in the doorway. "Prince L-Legolas." Tyron stuttered. He knew he was in trouble. Legolas's eyes darted from Kamilah to Tyron. "Leyna?" He asked, pleading for an explanation. "Kamilah." Tyron corrected sternly. Legolas's eyes fixed on him, suddenly angry.  
  
Kamilah stepped in front of Tyron and said to Legolas, "You need to leave." Then turned back to Tyron, "Both of you." "But Kamilah-" Tyron was cut off, "I said leave." Kamilah said shortly. Tyron walked around her, eyeing Legolas cautiously as he disappeared out the door. Kamilah turned to Legolas. "Leyna, I-" He too was cut off, "I said both of you." She said coldly. He looked to the ground, then turned quickly and was gone.  
  
Kamilah breathed after he shut the door, letting the events of the last ten minutes sink in. So much happening in such a short time was not good for her. There was Legolas, wanting to talk to her. She was so excited to see him. And then there was Tyron, whom she was incredibly disappointed to see. But then, the look in his eye changed her mind. In the candlelight of her room, she remembered thinking, in the moment after he stepped so close to her and before he kissed her, that she hadn't noticed how handsome he was. Then there was Legolas again. Looking heartbroken and confused. The memory wrenched her heart.  
  
Suddenly exhausted, Kamilah slipped into a nightgown and tucked herself in. This confusion is the last thing she needed at this point. She had way too much to think about already, without Tyron and Legolas. With a deep sigh, she cleared her mind of all thoughts and drifted into a fitful sleep. 


	6. Accepting an Identity

A/N .. I realize I haven't been putting disclaimers on my chapters, so I'll put one here  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own Kamilah, Silvana, and Tyron  
  
A/N .. There, I feel better.  
  
Chapter 6 - Accepting an Identity  
  
The morning appeared much too soon. Its rays gleamed into her room and shone off the silver pitcher beside her bed. Kamilah squinted. 'Ugh.' She thought. 'Why does the morning have to come so early?' Silvana entered quietly. Seeing Kamilah stir, she said, "Good morning, Kamilah. Have a good sleep?" "No." She answered bitterly, offering no explanation.  
  
Silvana stopped her task, and sat on the edge of her bed. "Are you going to tell me about it?" Kamilah sighed. "Prince Legolas thinks I am Leyna. And quite honestly, I'm not sure I'm not." Silvana gasped. "Prince Legolas thinks you are Leyna!! Oh, by the Valar, you are the luckiest Elf in Mirkwood!" She squealed. Kamilah rolled her eyes. "But Tyron is in love with me, too, and I still don't know who I am!"  
  
Silvana's smile disappeared. "Tyron, huh. I almost forgot about him. Nice fellow, he is." "Yeah, I know." Kamilah groaned. Thankfully, Silvana changed the subject, and Kamilah's mind was temporarily taken off her troubles.  
  
As they walked to breakfast, however, Kamilah was suddenly very apprehensive. She didn't know who she was regretting to see more. Silvana chattered, and Kamilah did her best to pay attention to what she was saying, but found it very difficult. She glanced at the doors and around at the tables for any sign of either of them. All through breakfast she played the part of a paranoid crazy person, looking over her shoulder every five seconds.   
  
Silvana noticed this all the while, and could not help but comment. "They are not here. So stop looking!" "I'm sorry. I can't help it." "You need to talk to them. Both of them. Very soon." Kamilah sighed with dread. "I know I do."  
  
After breakfast, she left Silvana in search of which ever one of them she came upon first. That turned out to be Legolas. He was sitting on a stone bench in a garden. Quite a beautiful sight, really. Kamilah's heartbeat quickened, as his gaze fell upon her. He smiled weakly. "Hey." She said, walking to him. "Can I sit?" "By all means." He gestured to the spot next to him.  
  
"I'm sorry." Kamilah said at length. "It is alright. I know how confused you must be." His words of understanding reminded Kamilah of Tyron the day they met. Legolas continued, "I just love you. So much. And I really want you to remember me. And the times we had together." "I want to remember, too, believe me! But it's not that easy." "I know." He replied simply.  
  
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but changed his mind, and shut it again. Kamilah did not miss this. "What?" She asked. "Nothing." "It was not nothing. Tell me." He breathed deeply. "I don't want to make you feel committed, but the last letter you sent me, you said yes to my proposal." Kamilah gulped. "Your p-proposal? Proposal of what?" "Marriage."  
  
Kamilah went def to the sounds around her. Legolas wanted to marry her. For some reason, looking into his eyes, she didn't feel afraid anymore. At least someone knew who she was, and he could teach her, if she didn't remember in time.  
  
She must've looked stunned, because Legolas had to ask her if she was alright. "Yes, yes I'm fine." She paused. "So, my name is Leyna. And I live in Rivendell." "Yes. And I met you last year, when I visited my friend Aragorn there. I have been coming to see you a few times a month, but you did not want to leave yet.  
  
"I traveled to Rivendell ten days ago, to bring you back here with me, and we were to be wed. But when I reached your house, your father said that you had gone missing the day before. We searched, but to no avail. You were coming to see me, I imagine, when your memory was lost."  
  
"I'd like to see my father." Leyna said, detachedly. "Maybe he'll jar some memories." Legolas nodded. "We shall depart at your wish." Leyna looked to him with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry, Legolas." "Sorry for what, my love?" "Sorry that I'm putting you through this." He swung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head. "Anything you go through, I will be right beside you with not a second thought."  
  
Leyna sighed as a smile tugged the corners of her mouth. It was nice here. Things were looking up. She'd see her father and her home. She may even marry a man so crazy for her that she'd never be alone again. Yes, things were looking up indeed. But she knew she'd never be quite content until she remembered for herself.  
  
Legolas sent a messenger to Rivendell that day to tell Leyna's father she'd be returning. Leyna then spent the rest of the day with him, asking him questions about her. He seemed to know everything about her, and she began to feel even better, less confused. She learned that her mother had died when she was young, and that made her very sad. But she also learned that she was very close to her father, and had many good, loyal friends.  
  
Legolas had begun to realize more and more that this was not the Leyna he had fallen in love with. He didn't know if she'd ever be the same again, but he didn't really care. He was torn between wanting her to regain her memory and filling the emptiness inside her, and not wanting her to remember, so she'd stay how she was now.   
  
Before, she was aggressive and outspoken, and that attracted him to her. But now, she was timid and vulnerable, and that attracted him to her even more. He wanted to be the one she relied on, the one she cried on and reached out for.   
  
That night, he walked her back to her room, and they stood outside her door saying goodnight. Legolas was not going to give her a kiss goodnight, as he usually would've. He did not want to force himself upon her. But, she looked up to him, and slid her hands around his neck, burying her face in his neck. He tucked his in her hair, smelling the berry shampoo she loved so much, and held her tightly, as he had longed to do for so long.  
  
Leyna pulled away and said, with tenderness in her eyes, "Thanks. For being so patient with me, and so kind." "I could be nothing else, mellamin." She sighed in contentment, and leaned up on her tip toes to lightly press her lips against his. With a smile, she turned away and entered her room, leaving him staring at her door long after she closed it. At length, he shook his head with a grin and meandered slowly for his room. 


	7. A Kiss Goodbye

Disclaimer - BTW, I own Queen Edeline from Chapter 2. (I don't think she'll be appearing anymore, but then again, I don't know where my writing will take me.) And I own Leyna and Tyron.  
  
--thanks moonbunny77 !!  
  
Keep the reviews coming!  
  
Chapter 7 - A Kiss Goodbye  
  
The next day, Leyna was happy to see the sun's rays gleam through her window. They cheered her and made her feel hopeful and positive. That feeling lasted until Silvana came to take her to breakfast, as had become their tradition. Leyna then realized she'd soon have to leave her.  
  
"Silvana," Leyna started to explain, as they walked down the hall. "I'll be going home to Rivendell soon. I imagine I might come back here, but I don't know yet." Silvana did not seem shocked. She did seem sad, though. "I thought as much. When are you leaving?" "Not today. I still have to tell Tyron. After I do, I don't think I'll want to stay anymore." Silvana nodded. "He's not going to be happy." Leyna rolled her eyes. "No duh. Thanks Captain Obvious." Unsure of where she got the expression, Leyna's eyes narrowed in thought. Déjà vu taunted her. She wondered if it would ever go away.  
  
After breakfast, Leyna parted with Silvana and went in search of Tyron. One of the guards said he was on duty at the King's doors. She decided to wait until he was done with his shift to talk to him. In the mean time, she wandered to the garden where she and Legolas sat the night before. There, she brushed her fingertips across the flower petals and wondered if she had ever taken the time to feel the velvety soft touch of the beauties mother nature produced.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard an Elf voice behind her call, "Kamilah?" She smiled and did not turn around. She knew it was Tyron. He was the only one who still called her that. "I thought you were on duty." She asked, still not facing him. "I got Pilinel to fill in for me. He said you asked about me." "Yes, I need to tell you something." She said, turning to face him, with uncertainty.  
  
"What is it, Kamilah?" Tyron placed a hand on her arm, reassuringly. She looked at it, then at his face with slight irritation. "First of all, my name is Leyna. And I am going to Rivendell to see my father." He pulled his hand back and his eyes widened. "So you have remembered?" "No. But I am sure this is right. We are leaving tomorrow morning." "We?" Asked Tyron, although he already knew who would be accompanying her. "Legolas and I."  
  
"Will you be returning?" Tyron asked quietly, casting his gaze to the floor. Leyna knew she had hurt him. "It's hard to tell right now." "Well, if I never see you again, may I kiss you goodbye?" Tyron looked up to her. Leyna was surprised to see tears glistening in his dark blue eyes. Her heart melted and her eyes reflected her sadness. "Yes." She choked out.  
  
Tyron stepped close to her, and placed a hand lightly on her cheek. His lips were so close to hers that Leyna could almost taste them. She had closed her eyes in anticipation, but was surprised when she no longer felt his hand on her cheek. She opened her eyes, and saw Tyron take her hand. He kissing it lightly, gazing up into her eyes. He held her hand close to his lips for a moment, then turned abruptly and hurried off.  
  
After he had disappeared from sight, Leyna exhaled a breath she was unaware of keeping. That made her feel worse than she thought it would. She got a sudden craving to be comforted and thought of seeking Legolas, but decided against it. She needed to pack. 


	8. Parting of Ways

A/N finally… a long chapter! Thanks show-jumper, moonbunny 77, and In The Depp End (Love the name)  
  
Chapter 8 - Parting of Ways  
"A Final Goodbye"  
  
Leyna had walked wearily to her room and begun to pack. She took the few dresses Silvana had laid out for her, and her own clothes which she still had folded in a drawer. She spread them on her bed and looked at them. Her black shirt and torn jeans. No one here wore jeans, she realized.   
  
She looked at her black high heeled shoes with a smile. She loved those shoes. They were on sale, too. Leyna's eyes widened. She remembered something else! Little bits and pieces of her memory came when something specific reminded her. But they were always useless facts and memories that did not help her find her identity in the least.   
  
Leyna folded her original clothes carefully and laid them in the pack Silvana had left her. Unsure if they had the same berry shampoo in Rivendell, Leyna took those, too.   
  
Leyna became suddenly aware of the orange shade cast into her room. She opened her balcony doors and found the sun already on its downward descent. The day had gone by very quickly, and it made her dreadfully sad. She had decided to leave in the morning. She supposed she should tell Legolas, so he could get things ready for their trip. Leyna sighed as she tore herself away from her balcony to find him.  
  
Legolas, whom Leyna had found in his room, smiled upon seeing her enter. "Hello, Leyna. I could not find you at all today." "I was in my room, mostly. Packing." "Packing?" "Yeah, I want to leave in the morning." "If you wish." She nodded and turned to leave. "Leyna? Going so soon?" She smiled at him. "Not if you don't want me to." "If it were up to me, you would never leave my side." Leyna's smile widened, and she sat next to him on his bed.  
  
"I wonder what my father and I fought about, the day I left." "He did not say. But I am certain you can work it out. He will be overjoyed to see you." Leyna sighed and laid her head on Legolas's shoulder. "I don't want to leave this place." Leyna whimpered. "Nor do I, mellamin. But I go where you go, and you must see your father." "I know." Legolas reassuringly rubbed her lower back in small, warming circles. She felt her eyelids heavy, and could not stop sleep from taking her.  
  
Leyna woke, but did not open her eyes. She felt a moist breeze coming from the open balcony door, and she could tell it was very early in the morning. Wait¼the opened balcony door? She didn't leave hers open. Her eyes snapped open. The sheets that covered her were not her own. She became aware of a warm presence lying beside her, and a heavy weight laid across her waist. Leyna realized she had fallen asleep in Legolas's room.  
  
A small smile crept onto her lips as she slid her hand under the sheets to feel Legolas's warm hand on her stomach. She turned under his arm to face him. He looked so peaceful, sleeping. Quite angelic, really. His blonde hair was laid in disarray on his pillow. She couldn't resist. Leyna leaned in to kiss his lips gently, so as not to wake him. She began to pull away, but Legolas, with eyes still closed, tightened his grasp on her waist, and pulled her to him again.  
  
He was always so warm, Leyna thought, as his body heat surrounded her. His kiss took her breath away, like when one steps outside in the early morning dew. Their lips parted, but neither pulled away. They lay, nose to nose, watching each other's eyes. "Did we do this before?" Leyna asked. Legolas smiled. "No. I wish we had. I didn't know what I was missing."  
  
Leyna laughed. "I should get back to my room, though. Silvana will be there in a little bit, I imagine. I have to finish packing, anyway. We should leave after breakfast." "You sound like you're feeling better about going." Legolas observed. "I am. A little. I can't wait to see my father. I can't wait to see if he'll spur my memory." Leyna said, and reluctantly disentangled herself from Legolas's arms.  
  
She stretched and redid her ponytail as Legolas watched intently. "Come by my room when you're ready." Leyna said, making her way to the door. "If it's possible, Leyna¼I think I'm more in love with you now than I ever have been." She stopped, with her hand on the doorknob and turned to him, a little taken aback. Her hand dropped from the doorknob with a mischievous smile, as she sprinted and vaulted herself on top of him, giggling uncontrollably.  
  
Legolas laughed and rolled her on her back, kissing her neck. She gained some control over her fitful giggles, and he pulled away to gaze in her eyes, twinkling with laughter. "Yes, it is possible." He concluded, and kissed her lips, long and deep.  
  
It was a good five minutes more before Leyna convinced Legolas to let her go pack, and she pranced gleefully down the hall to her room, not caring how silly she looked. She found Silvana waiting impatiently there.   
  
"Where were you?" She asked, resembling a worried mother. Leyna giggled and went to the bathroom to change. Silvana's eyes widened as she followed Leyna and interrogated her through the closed door.   
  
"Were you with Legolas?" She heard more giggles through the door. "You were! You¼you¼" Silvana laughed, "You lucky horse!"  
  
The giggles behind the door stopped. Silvana had called her a horse.  
  
"Forgive me¼I just have never seen someone so small eat like such a horse!" Tyron had said to her, her first morning in Mirkwood. Leyna felt a sudden twinge of regret. She opened the door, and Silvana saw the sadness in her eyes. "What is wrong?" Leyna busied herself, hurriedly packing the rest of her things.   
  
"I'll miss it here, that's all." "You will just have to visit again. Now come, Leyna. We will go to breakfast, and you will enjoy your last morning here. You must be hungry, after last night." Silvana said suggestively, with a laugh. Leyna's mouth gaped at the assumption. She began to explain that nothing of the sort happened last night, as Silvana led her out the door and to the breakfast hall.  
  
After a wonderful breakfast, Leyna and Silvana walked slowly back to Leyna's room. They stopped outside the door, and hugged. "I'm gonna miss you so much, Silvana." "And I you, Leyna. But you must come and visit me at very least." "I will. Promise." They hugged again, and Silvana left.  
  
Leyna checked her room again, to be sure she didn't forget anything. She was always a meticulous perfectionist. Leyna stopped and shook her head. Another bit of useless information she remembered about herself.  
  
There was a knock at the door. 'That'll be Legolas.' She thought with a smile. "Come in!" She called, fastening her cloak about her shoulders and slinging her pack onto her back. "Um, Kamilah?" Leyna spun around, startled. "Tyron? What're you doing here?" "I just wanted to say goodbye one last time."  
  
Afraid of what he wanted for a final goodbye, Leyna said shortly, "Goodbye, Tyron. Legolas will be here shortly." Tyron's look fell, rejected, to the floor. Leyna sighed. "Sorry. But I have my mind made up and don't want to second guess myself." "Why would you second guess yourself?" "Because I'm afraid I won't want to leave you."  
  
Tyron was silent. "Goodbye." He whispered, his gaze once again to the floor. Leyna did not speak. Tyron turned and sped out the door, but not without a last look at her. That last look would stay with Leyna til the end of her days as the single most crushing look she had ever seen anyone hold.  
  
Leyna sat on her bed, unsure of herself once more. Funny how simply his presence would make her feel so. She didn't know how long she was sitting there before Legolas's head appeared in the open doorway. "Leyna?" She looked up at him with a fake smile, which must not have looked very convincing, because he asked her if anything was wrong. "No, I'm still just a bit sad to be leaving." "Do not worry. I am sure your home will feel much better, and if you want you can by all means come back to visit."  
  
A question suddenly popped into Leyna's mind. "Do you still expect me to marry you?" Legolas thought he heard a hint of irritation in her voice, as if she expected the answer to be yes. Of course he had no intention of expecting such from her in her state of mind.   
  
"Of course not! I could not hold you to a promise you have no memory of making. But I want you to know, even in light of recent events, my proposal still stands, stronger than ever."  
  
"And when¼or if, rather¼I get my memory back, or when I so desire, I'll consider your proposal. But you realize I can't make a decision so soon. Not when I'm still so confused." Legolas strode over to sit next to her, and put his arm around her. Speaking very softly and with understanding, "Of course. It is all up to you. Take however long you need, and don't worry about me ever changing my mind." She looked to him and smiled weakly. His words were meant to help, but the phrase 'It is all up to you' frightened her a bit.  
  
"We should get going." Leyna said. "Yes, I have two horses ready outside." They stood and walked out the bedroom door. Before closing it, Leyna stopped and took a last look around.  
  
With a sigh of longing, she continued with Legolas down the stone hall. Without thinking, she slipped her small hand into his, and entwined their fingers. Legolas looked down at their hands in wonder. He then looked to Leyna, to whom the gesture seemed perfectly normal. She saw from the corner of her eye, his head turned toward her, and she turned hers to him. Reading his amazed expression she asked, "Didn't we do this either?" He simply shook his head.  
  
They came out into the courtyard, and Leyna saw two white horses standing nearby. Legolas slung his pack over one of their necks. Leyna mimicked him. He hopped nimbly onto his horse. Leyna bit her bottom lip. "I never was too good at this." She said and looked to Legolas for guidance.   
  
He hid an amused look, not very well; Leyna scowled, and he hopped off the horse's back just as nimbly. He put his hands on her waist from behind, her hands gripped his wrists, and he lifted her onto the horse's back with ease.  
  
He returned to his horse, and began to trot down the path; Leyna's horse followed. Leyna willed herself not to look back. But as they reached the end of the village, and the forest began, the grass ended abruptly, Leyna had to steal a glance behind. She saw the palace, and quickly located her balcony on the second story. There was a figure there, a woman. It was Silvana. She must've been watching her go, because she waved. Leyna waved back vigorously with a large grin.  
  
Silvana turned and disappeared inside. Leyna gazed at the palace still, and her eyes caught another figure, below her balcony. An Elf. Tyron. He must've been watching her go also, but he did not wave. Leyna's grin disappeared abruptly. She lifted her hand, but he turned quickly and disappeared inside as well.  
  
Leyna faced her back to Mirkwood Palace and looked to the road ahead. She studied Legolas's back ahead of her. The top half of his blonde hair was tied back, and the bottom half hung to the middle of his shoulder blades. Her eyes moved over his sturdy shoulders and arms. His brown vest tightened across his back as he moved with the steps of the horse beneath him.  
  
Leyna sighed, for the tenth time that day. This sigh was different, though. She had sighed in longing, in sadness, pessimism even. But this one was one of hope. The Elf riding ahead of her made her feel as if she needn't worry about anything. As long as he was there, everything would work itself out. She smiled. 


	9. The Journey Begins

A/N…I am having technical difficulties with this thing...when I upload the document… my chapter title is at the left margin.. And I click the center button, and it makes all the text center…grr…..I'm getting really frustrated….  
  
Moonbunny77 - I'll try! But alas! I am a mere mortal, needing sleep and food on occasion…and have but two hands! lol! Thanks for reviewing  
  
I do update pretty regularly… daily or every other day…so even tho the chaps are sumtimes short…you'll get a lot of 'em!

Reviews plz!!  
  
Chapter 9 - The Journey Begins   
"Dancing Queen"  
  
They rode the rest of the morning in silence, in single file, until Leyna's stomach began to grumble. The sun was directly above in the sky. "Can we stop to eat?" Leyna whined.  
  
They found a small space between the trees off to the right of the trail and stopped there. Legolas helped Leyna off her horse, and they sat in a small patch of sun that broke through the dense canopy. Legolas had brought some lembas and various dried meats for the journey. As they ate, Leyna's mind wandered about their journey ahead. She stopped eating, and asked suddenly, "Why didn't your father send guards this time?" Legolas stopped and breathed unhappily.   
  
She noticed his hesitation and stared at him, waiting for an answer. "My father did not approve of my accompanying you, and threatened to make us go alone if I did not stay in Mirkwood."   
  
Leyna scoffed. "Psh. We can defend ourselves. You're the Prince of Mirkwood for heaven sakes. You're only the best archer and swordsman in the whole kingdom." Leyna gloated. Legolas laughed. "I wouldn't go that far."   
  
Leyna's face was thoughtful once more. "Why didn't he approve?" He hoped she wouldn't ask that. He didn't want to have to tell her the truth. But he had no choice. He would never lie to her.  
  
"Well, he has never quite approved of our relationship, with you not being a royal and all. I didn't tell him of our engagement, he would surely have prohibited it. And he was none too happy when I told him the human in his forest was the Leyna of whom I spoke so much. This morning he finally outright forbade me to have anything to do with you." Leyna frowned at the ground. King Thranduil had seemed so kind her first day there when she had met him.   
  
"But do not give much thought to him. I doubt he'd ever have approved of anyone." Leyna did as she was told. Her thoughts drifted away from the condemnation of their relationship to other things of no importance.   
  
Her eyes suddenly widened and she asked fearfully, remembering her first day in the forest, "Will we see any more of them nasty spiders?" Legolas half-smiled impishly and did not answer. Her eyes widened further and her mouth gaped. "Legolas!?" His smile grew, and still did not answer.  
  
"You brat!" Leyna yelled as she threw herself on him. Her legs straddled his stomach and she pretended to choke him. He made dying noises with a grin and finally grabbed her wrists from his throat. With one fluid motion, he pushed her off him and onto her back beside him, rolling on top of her, never letting go of her wrists. He held them to the ground above her head. "Ah, so the tables have turned." She said slyly.  
  
He shook his head with a chuckle and let go, to stand and help her up. He immediately began getting his pack together. "We should get going."  
  
And so, Legolas helped her onto her horse once again, and they started off. They stopped once more that day, as the sun began to touch the horizon. This time, their clearing was quite large, and the forest around it appeared denser. Legolas tied his horse to a tree branch and walked to help Leyna.   
  
"No, wait. Let me do it." She held her hand out to stop him. A smile came over his face as he quirked a brow and stood, arms folded across his chest, to witness this spectacle.  
  
Leyna concentrated and took a breath to calm herself before she leaned close to the horse's neck, and swung her left leg over the horse's backside. She slid her body down the horse's side, until her feet came in contact with the ground. She spun quickly around to Legolas, a wide grin of victory on her face. He was impressed, but quickly spoiled her mood when he said, "Now all you have to master is getting back up." She scowled as he walked away laughing, and looked back at her horse. She'd tackle that some other time, she thought, as she tied a rope loosely around its neck, and the other end the same branch as Legolas's horse.  
  
Legolas had gathered brush from the outer edge of the clearing and piled it in the middle. He dug in his vest and procured a flint stone. With one strike, the brush lit up in a small blaze. "I'm going to get more firewood." He called to Leyna over his shoulder, as he walked into the forest. "Okay." She called after him. "Oh, and watch out for spiders!" She said, half jokingly, half seriously concerned. She heard him laugh, already surprisingly far away.  
  
She sighed, and spread her cloak on the ground near the fire. There she lay, resting her head on her pack, her hands behind her head. And there, she thought. Which she found herself doing a lot lately. She tried to stop herself; she got sick of thinking. But she couldn't. It seemed she was the kind of person who thought a lot. Amidst her thinking, a song popped into her head. What brought it on, she didn't know. It was just there. She ran through the words in her head, and seemed to know all of them. She heard the music loud and clear.  
  
The tune was catchy, and she sat up, listening to it play through her mind. Her head bobbed side to side, and her shoulders moved with the beat. Soon, her whole body was moving, and she closed her eyes and smiled. She got to her feet, to allow her body full range of motion, and shook her hips to the music. Her arms extended over her head, she yelled:  
  
_1, 2, 3 UH!  
_  
_My baby don't mess around because she loves me so and this I know fo sho  
  
Don't try to fight the feelin cuz the thought alone is killin me right now  
  
Hey ya, hey ya (clap, clap, clap)  
  
You think you got it, oh you think you got it, but got it just don't get it when there's nothing at all  
  
If what they say is nothing lasts forever then what makes love the exception?  
  
Okay now ladies, lend me sum suga. I am yo neighbor Ah! Hear we go  
  
Shake it sh-shake it shake it sh-shake it shake it sh-shake it shake it shake it sh-shake it shake it  
  
Hey ya, hey ya (clap clap clap)  
_  
Leyna shook her shoulders and did what she called the 'Harlem Shake' laughing and singing all the while. She thought how crazy she must look. But she didn't care. It felt good to get her mind off her troubles and dance.  
  
Boy, she did love to dance, too. At least she knew that about herself.   
  
With a roguish smile on her lips, the song in her head ended, and she giggled. She saw Legolas out of the corner of her eye, stepping out of the woods. At the same time, she heard him speak, "I must say, never in all my centuries have I seen anything quite like that." Leyna blushed and sat back down on her cloak as he laid some more logs on the fire and placed the rest nearby.  
  
"What in Middle Earth possessed you to do that?" He asked, sitting beside her. "I don't know. I just heard it in my head and it got the best of me. I had to get up and dance." He nodded, though she knew he did not understand.  
  
Legolas did not understand a lot about Leyna of late. It was like he was getting to know her all over again. He did not understand what made her to do some of the things she did, or say some of the things she said. He chalked it up to getting a good knock on the head from something and being under so much stress and frustration.  
  
The sun had now sunk well below the horizon, and the stars were twinkling brightly. The moon cast its hauntingly silver light into the clearing. Leyna shivered. Legolas took a blanket from his pack and spread it on the ground for her. He shook off her cloak and laid it over her, and another blanket over that. "Thank you." She whispered. He did not answer. She was already half asleep.  
  
He fed the horses some dry meat and sat across the fire from Leyna, staring into the orange yellow flames. He heard her mumble something. She twitched under the blankets, and mumbled still, gradually louder. To Legolas it sounded like this, "urgh.. momma... goodbye...uhhh...broken...no!...ahhh!" She finally screamed out and jerked to an upright position. Legolas bolted beside her.   
  
"Leyna it's okay." He rubbed her back, and she stared off in front of her, with a horrified look on her face. Then, she looked to Legolas, and heaved a great sigh of relief. She leaned her forehead against his firm chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. 'Thank God he's here.' Leyna thought. She didn't know how she'd have held her sanity without him.  
  
"I had a nightmare." Leyna whispered into his tunic. "It's okay now. I'm here." He whispered back, reassuringly. After a moment, she lay back down, and he kissed her forehead and stood up. "Legolas!" She whispered urgently. He stopped in mid-turn. She looked at him with pleading eyes. Without words he read them, and lay down beside her. She tossed some blankets over him and snuggled into his warm chest, wrapping an arm around his waist. He draped his strong arms around her body.  
  
Leyna loved it there. It was like nothing else mattered. It didn't matter that she knew nothing of her life. There, she knew exactly who she was. She was a woman who was loved. That was all that counted. The scent of the forest enveloped her, from the trees around, and from the warm body so close to her. The last thought that crossed her mind before she fell into a deep, peaceful, dreamless sleep was one of contentment.  
  
A/N this chapter contained "Hey Ya" by Outkast.


	10. The Reason Is You

A/N.. boy I got some kick ass reviews from the last chapter…   
  
**Show-jumper** - someone quick! Get some water for show-jumper's burnt hands!   
Of course it's not over yet!! I saw the first two LOTR movies a while ago, and honestly, can't really remember much about them…except for how hot Orlando Bloom as Legolas is…:) I'm reading ROTK right now, and Faramir in the book is impressive, too.   
But I will check The Horse and definitely will review, and I will look out for some more stories from you, as well. (It may surprise you, but I really do enjoy your rampages!)  
  
**Magicgirl810** - you are the first reviewer who has said anything at all about that… way to go!  
  
**Moonbunny77** - Thanks, as always! :-)  
  
**Kchan2982** - sorry, mom. lol. Thanks for the review. I think I'd like your friends…they sound absolutely delightful! And…I wanted to ask you…'son of a fire breathing tutu'?? wtf?? Lol.  
  
Chapter 10 - The Reason is You  
  
The smell of campfire smoke roused Leyna in the chilly morning. She felt the newness of the day's cool air. Her eyes opened to see Legolas warming meat over the fire for breakfast. The sight was quite amusing to her. The Prince of Mirkwood, undisputedly the greatest archer in the entire forest, leaning over the fire with a fork, heating breakfast.   
  
She giggled, and his eyes shot to her. "Good morning, mellamin. Care for some breakfast." "I'd love some." She answered, crawling over to him, planting a kiss on his soft cheek. He smiled and gave her the forkful of meat he was holding. She crawled away to lean her back against a tree and nibbled at it.   
  
He sat Indian style in front of her, eating his forkful as well, and laid a packet of lembas between them. Leyna sipped her canteen of water and asked thoughtfully, "So, how much longer do you think this trip is gonna take?" "Sick of it already?" "No, by all means no. I love camping." She looked wistfully about, then into Legolas's face, "Especially when I have good company. I just really, really want to get there." "I know, mellamin. I promise, we will make no more stops than necessary and not for longer than necessary."   
  
She nodded in approval. "That means we should be going soon." She nodded again, and finished off her breakfast, shoving a few pieces of lembas in her mouth and stood up. She brushed the dirt from her dress and untied her horse. Legolas scattered dirt over the fire and slung his pack on his horse's back, untying him as well.  
  
Leyna looked distrustfully at her horse. Legolas looked skeptically at them both. She breathed a calming and determined breath. Swinging her left leg on the horse's back, she clung to its neck and pulled herself up. "Hah! Hell yeah! I rock my world." Legolas looked at her, first impressed, then confused. Where she got those expressions was beyond him. He shook his head and decided it didn't really matter. Hopping agilely onto his horse, he led them off again.  
  
After stopping for lunch, and Leyna's slow but sure independent mounting and dismounting, they continued down the Elf path through the woods, Legolas taught her some Elf language, which she strangely seemed to have forgotten. Leyna asked him what 'mellamin' meant, for he had called her that several times. He smiled at her and told her in common speech, it meant 'my love'. Leyna blushed lightly and beamed.   
  
After a lengthy discussion of Elf speech, in which Legolas promised to re-teach her a bit of Elvish every day, both fell silent. Until suddenly, Legolas asked, "Will you sing something?" She looked at him, apprehensive and a little disbelieving. "You want me to sing?" "Yes." "Sing what?" "One of the strange songs you're always humming to yourself." Leyna thought a moment. Words came to her mouth:  
  
_I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know  
  
I found a reason for me_  
_To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
And the reason is you  
  
I'm sorry that I hurt you  
Its something I must live with every day  
But all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear  
  
I found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you_  
  
Legolas smiled at the sound of her voice. She really did sing very beautifully. He couldn't remember hearing her sing before, and was very glad that she had taken it up. Soon, even through the ever denser canopy, the sunlight was failing. Legolas pressed on until it was a bit darker, then stopped to make camp for the night. Much as the fashion the last night, he lit a small fire and went to gather firewood, leaving Leyna to her own devices for nearly an hour.  
  
She took to singing and petting the horses, or staring into the fire. Eventually, she started thinking again. In the back of her mind, or in her subconscious, she glimpsed images of a woman. Her hair was sandy brown, streaked with blonde, and cut about an inch above her shoulders. She had a slim body, was taller than Leyna, and had larger 'proportions' if you get my meaning. But she could never see her face. It was always just a blur in her memory.   
  
Legolas returned with an armload of wood. The fire roared brighter, and Leyna was overcome with drowsiness. She dropped promptly into a light sleep plagued by half memories.

In her dream, Leyna saw the woman she recognized in her mind. She was wailing uncontrollably. She sobbed and cried inaudible words with such immense pain that Leyna woke suddenly and found tears rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly with the back of her hand and looked around for Legolas. He was nowhere to be seen in the dimly lit clearing. Leyna guessed he had gone for more firewood.  
  
She lay back down, but after a while, unable to sleep again, she wandered around the edge of the clearing, looking at the dark trees. Leyna had made her way around the full circle of the clearing when she got the unrestrainable desire to walk through the forest. 'I'll just go a little ways.' She said to herself, and slipped through the trees and into the darkness.  
  
Leyna was about four trees distance away from the edge of the clearing when she looked back at the fire. Its faint orange glow seemed distant through the hazy dark in the forest. Still, she kept walking. It felt good to her, to feel the forest floor under her feet, after two days of riding. The shadows of the forest were not frightening. Surprisingly, she felt rather safe. She wasn't too far, and she'd stay within distance of the fire.   
  
As if to reassure herself of the nearness to refuge, she turned again to look for the light of the clearing. But it was gone. It did not worry her too much at first, she just started walking back til she could see it. It did worry her, however, when she had walked for five minutes, and no sign of light could be seen, save patches of moon and starlight from apertures in the canopy above. How far had she walked in, anyway? There was no clear answer.  
  
After ten minutes walking in what she thought was the right direction, she wasn't even sure of that anymore. She began to really panic. 'Why do I have to be so damn curious?' Leyna was about to panic and scream for Legolas when she heard his voice come from somewhere above her, "A bit lost, are we?"   
  
She let out a small yelp and was about to high tail it out of the speaker's presence when she realized it was him. "Lord almighty, Legolas. You nearly scared me to death!" She yelled exasperatedly, up at the trees. She heard him chuckle. "Keep your voice down." He whispered down to her. Then, he said tauntingly, "I wish you could see this. The view is beautiful." Much to his surprise, she located the tree he sat in and scurried up next to him on the large tree branch.  
  
He looked at her, impressed and a bit taken aback. "Didn't think I could do that, didja?" She laughed. He shook his head. "Neither did I." Leyna looked around. They were very high up, in one of the uppermost branches of an ancient oak tree. She tilted her head back, and could see the clear night sky. Leyna realized she hadn't seen the sky since the afternoon they set out on this journey. It was beautiful. Dazzling jewel-stars dotted the velvety black sky. The moon sat full and bright, like a Shepard of the stars, high above them.  
  
"Wow." Leyna said, involuntarily. She glanced at Legolas, who was staring to the heavens, seemingly entranced. She then glanced at his lap, where his hands rested. She placed her hand on one of his, and he immediately entwined their fingers, ever gazing upward. Leyna smiled, and saw him do so, too, and she returned her eyes to the stars above. 'Maybe this forest isn't half bad.' She thought.  
  
After a while, Legolas let go her hand and climbed skillfully down. Leyna followed, no less skillfully, but a bit slower. He led her by the hand back to the clearing, which was surprisingly, quite a ways away, yet. The fire had died down further, and Legolas threw another log on it to keep the various wood animals away, as Leyna lay on her cloak and drew the blanket up to her chin.   
  
Legolas climbed under the blanket beside her and rested his arm on her stomach. Like that, both drifted easily into sleep.

A/N .. this chapter contained "The Reason is You" by Hoobastank  
  
And for all the songs I have used and will use in further chapters, I own none of them. 


	11. Raining on Sunday

A/N.. thanks to:  
  
moonbunny77 - much more plot movement in this chapter, I swear.  
Kchan2982 - here you go, drink away!  
  
Chapter 11 - Raining on Sunday  
"In Dreams"  
  
Leyna opened her eyes to see Legolas's face not two inches from her own. She half smiled and he opened his eyes. He smiled and leaned in a bit to kiss her lips tenderly. Leyna lazed around under the warm blankets while Legolas warmed some breakfast over the fire he had stoked. When they had eaten, they made off. Leyna mounted her horse again, a little easier this time, but with no less enthusiasm.  
  
This, the third day of their journey, was much bleaker. The forest had been continually becoming denser, and it seemed no light could be seen at all through the heavy leaves and branches above. There were layers upon layers of old leaves from autumns long past. It was dark and stuffy, and it seemed even the air was old. Leyna always felt that she was getting just less oxygen than she needed to function correctly. Sudden fits of drowsiness would come upon her and leave just as suddenly. She'd nod onto her horse's neck, and jerk back up, alert as ever.  
  
The condition did not seem to afflict Legolas, however. But, he must've passed through these woods hundreds of times. That did not lessen his caution, though. He warned Leyna not to sing or make any noises louder than necessary. To cheer herself up, Leyna hummed and sang inside her head. A love song that made her forget the mood of the forest. A song about rain.  
  
_It ticks just like a Timex  
Never lets up on you  
Who said life was easy  
The job is never through  
  
It'll run us til we're ragged  
It'll harden our hearts  
Love could use a day of rest  
Before we both start falling apart  
  
Pray that it's rainin on Sunday  
Stormin like crazy  
And we'll hide under the covers  
All afternoon  
  
Baby whatever comes Monday  
Can take care of itself  
Cause we've got better things  
That we can do  
  
When it's rainin on Sunday  
  
Oh surrender is much sweeter  
When we both let it go  
Let the water wash out bodies clean  
And love wash our souls_  
  
She smiled to herself. Keith Urban. Yummy...  
  
'Whoa!' She remembered who sang the song! A sudden pride came to her. Every day more and more came to her. More and more useless it seemed, but it was a start.  
  
Legolas stopped to make camp. It surprised Leyna, she wasn't aware it was nighttime yet. The day had flown right by. They didn't make a fire that night. Legolas said it would attract big black moths and who knows what else. So, they slept in utter darkness, clinging to each other to be sure they didn't fall into oblivion.  
  
When they woke, Leyna felt obligated to go back to sleep. It was as dark as when they went to sleep the night before. But, Legolas reassured her it was morning. So, they ate cold dry meat and lembas with water, and pressed on. Leyna was tiring very quickly of this dark, dreary forest. She wanted nothing more than to breathe fresh air and to feel the warm sun on her face.   
  
"A few more days." Legolas kept telling her, every time she asked. The further they went into the forest, the more deep and hushed things seemed. Leyna dared not speak even, for fear it would wake up some horrible creature.

But Legolas spoke, as if to relieve her, and himself, of the heaviness of the woods. "We're on our way out, now." Those words cheered her beyond all reason. She began smiling again, and the songs in her head, which had become dark and sad, picked up their beat and developed into songs of love and happiness.  
  
They slept again with no fire, holding onto the only familiar and friendly thing in the forest; each other. That night was particularly tormenting for Leyna. She saw lights in her dream. Intense, menacing, and very, very frightening white lights. Despite herself, she could not wake up. It was like she was not really sleeping, there seemed no end to this dream.   
  
But suddenly, when she thought she could take the lights no longer, an abrupt coldness swept over her body, and her eyes snapped open. She sat up, but the scenery did not affirm or disaffirm consciousness, for all was black. The night was so thick, she could not see her hand in front of her eyes.   
  
She was leaning more toward still dreaming, because in the distance, she fancied she saw more lights. These were different, though. They were more orange/red, and they were in clusters that seemingly bulged. The lights came closer, and Leyna scooted away. Unfortunately, she scooted her back into a tree, and the lights came ever closer. A brick of fear was dropped on her stomach, and her breathing quickened. She turned to escape to the left, but more clusters of red bulging lights appeared there.  
  
Turning to her right only revealed more red lights. She was trapped. Panic flooded her. A scream welled up in her throat and worked its way to her vocal cords. Hardly had the scream pierced the air when she heard arrows whizzing down from above her head.

The red lights all around her dimmed and she heard a thud on the ground to her right, and to her left and front she heard scurrying away from her. When another figure came to land with a thud in front of her not seconds later, she jumped up and bolted in fear of her life. Leyna had come to realize this was no dream. Those were spiders.  
  
Her bolting was halted, however, when a hand grabbed the back of her cloak and pulled her against the tree, holding her there strongly. "Leyna!" Legolas whispered in her ear, gruff and hushed. Leyna's drumming heart slowed. She rolled her eyes and thanked God. "Lord Almighty, Legolas! I was just about to haul ass outta here! You gotta give me some warning before popping up out of nowhere like that !"   
  
"Apologies, mellamin. But we must move quickly." He let her go and scurried about, collecting their packs. He tossed Leyna hers, which she (much to her surprise) saw flying at her and caught, despite the deep, complete darkness. Legolas whistled for their horses, which had snapped their ropes and run off upon smelling the spiders approaching.   
  
Leyna mounted her horse, which had cantered up beside her out of the trees. She heard Legolas on his horse, trotting in front of her, and she let her horse follow him. They rode swiftly on for some hours. Legolas was intent on getting as far away from the spiders as he could. Not so much for his sake, but with Leyna with him now, he was careful to take extra caution.  
  
He was rather surprised that she did not speak while they rode, after the attack. Leyna was deep in thought. During the attack of the spiders, a thought had come back to her. The lights of the spider's eyes, her certain death, coming towards her had spurred a memory...and a hunch. Words had come to her mind and would not leave. They were the words of the first song she remembered on her first day in Mirkwood Forest.   
  
_I'm tired  
Cynical and broken, but wiser  
Heavy with a sense of resentment  
But I used to be so much different_  
  
She also realized that the lights she saw in her dream she that night were not just something her mind had conjured up. It was much too real. She had experienced it. Sometime in the distant past and somewhere far away, or so it seemed to her. But she was sure that that was what caused her memory loss. Maybe during her journey from Rivendell to see Legolas, the spiders had chased her, and she fell and hit her head.  
  
Leyna thought this, and felt as if she had solved one part of her mystery. She knew what happened to her right before losing her mind, now all she had to find was the rest of her life.   
  
Leyna was snapped out of her consideration when she and Legolas rode out of the woods suddenly, and into a long, flat plain. Large trees dotted the bare landscape here and there, and Leyna's jaw dropped. She dared not hope this was the end of the forest. But she looked to Legolas, and he answered her questioning stare. "We've passed the Forest Gate." It registered to her after a moment, and she laughed. A relieved and disbelieving laugh.  
  
Leyna breathed deep the fresh, crisp air of the dawn. The plain was a hazy gray, but the quick rising sun peeked over the orange pink horizon, shooting golden rays on the dew covered grasses. The desire for the journey's end struck Leyna harder now that the worst part was over.   
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
A/N this chapter contained "Rainin on Sunday" by Keith Urban and a bit of "Slow Descent" by Starlight Run


	12. Journey's End

A/N…lol thanks YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko for the enthusiastic review!  
And moonbunny77 as always!  
This chapter is relatively short...  
  
Chapter 12 - Journey's End  
"By Twilight"  
  
The next few days of their journey dashed by swiftly and without incident. They crossed the Great River and passed through the Goblin Gate of Eyrie in the Misty Mountains. From there, they followed the river winding across a pleasant, grassy plain. Leyna's heart and mind were eased by their nearness to their destination. She laughed often, and smiled even more. Legolas would sit across the fire from her at night, and listen to her sing.   
  
The songs she sang were strange, in common speech, and not Elvish. There were slow tempo love songs, upbeat and happy songs, and sometimes she would sing the melody of a song with no words.   
  
The night before they reached Rivendell, Legolas asked her to sing one of her favorites; one that meant something. She did not have to think before beginning. And it was one that stuck particularly well in his memory.  
  
_I hurt myself today  
To see if I still feel  
I focus on the pain  
The only thing that's real  
  
The needle tears a hole  
The old familiar sting  
Try to kill it all away_  
_But I remember everything  
  
What have I become?  
My sweetest friend  
Everyone I know  
Goes away, in the end  
  
And you could have it all  
My empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt  
_  
_I wear this crown of thorns  
Upon my liar's chair  
Full of broken thoughts  
That I cannot repair  
  
Beneath the stains of time  
The feelings disappear  
You are someone else  
I am still right here  
  
If I could start again  
A million miles away  
I would keep myself  
I would find a way._  
  
Leyna stared into the fire, looking forlorn and pained. Legolas wore an expression of concern, and he scooted beside her. He stared into the fire for a moment, waiting for her to speak.   
  
"You have no idea the confusion. Not knowing who you are. I was glad that you came along and told me. I didn't think I'd ever find it on my own." Legolas pondered a moment. "I think I know you feel." She didn't ask for an explanation. She figured he'd give it if he wanted.   
  
And it seemed he did, for he began, "I never felt like my own Elf. My father had made decisions for me since I was an elfling. But unlike you, I didn't want him to decide who I was. I wanted to do it on my own."  
  
Leyna gave an understanding and appreciative smile. It turned coy when she asked, "And have you? Decided who you are?" Legolas gave her playful smile, "Yes, I believe I have." "And what did you decide?" Not missing a beat, he replied, "A good Elf. With a great life. An Elf who will find happiness…who has found happiness." He tapped her nose with his finger.  
  
They chatted idly about the rest of their journey before drifting to sleep. That night's dreams brought strange messages to Leyna's mind. A feeling of anxiety and apprehension appeared. Something was not right.  
  
When she woke in the early morning, Leyna shrugged the feeling off. It was too vague to ponder over and try to make sense of. The plains they rode across glistened with dew. The sense of misgiving Leyna carried over from the night was replaced with hope and awe at the beauty of her surroundings in the dawn. It seemed the moment was perfect for a song. And so she began. Legolas did not look back to her, but he smiled, and she knew it.  
  
_Creek goes ripplin by  
I've been barefootin all day with my baby  
Brown leaves have started fallin  
Leadin the way  
  
I like it best just like this  
Doin nothing all the way  
So let's lay down in the tall grass  
Dreamin away  
_  
_All I wanna do is let it be and be with you and watch the wind blow by  
All I wanna see is you and me go on forever like the clear blue sky  
Slowly, there's only you and I  
And all I wanna do is watch the wind blow by  
  
You know you told me not so long ago  
To let it come and let it pass  
And all your troubles and your sorrows  
They won't last  
  
So let me kiss you now little darlin  
Beneath this autumn moon  
Cold winds, another season  
Will be here soon_  
  
That day, they made exceedingly good progress across the vast plain. By twilight, they must've crossed at least a half dozen leagues. Camp was made under a great oak that seemed rather out of place in the flat lands. Leyna dozed with her back resting against the trunk of the monstrous tree.  
  
The morning came soft and sweet. As did the next. But two moons it had been since the feeling of worry crept upon her in her sleep. And every night it had grown stronger, and stayed with her longer in the day. The third morning, the feeling lasted well after supper, and only when she lay under her cloak in Legolas's arms did it disperse.  
  
But sure enough, during the night, it came back. They rode from their camp with their backs toward the rising sun, and Leyna was about to tell Legolas of her apprehension when he spoke. "I believe we shall reach Rivendell by twilight."   
  
A knot jumped into Leyna's stomach. Just a few days ago, she'd have been overjoyed to hear those words. She should have been excited. She wanted to be excited. But she could not help feeling something synonymous to...well, dread. Legolas looked back to see her reaction. He wanted to see her smiling. But instead, she stared at her horse's neck with a look of uncertainty wrinkling her pretty face.  
  
"Mellamin? What troubles you?" Legolas asked, full of concern, as he let his horse fall back in step with hers. She breathed heavily. "I don't know. I just feel like...something's off." "I shall keep a wary eye." She nodded, although she was certain there was no physical threat. They rode on.  
  
The sun had started its descent from the blue sky. Leyna breathed deep, trying to calm herself. They were almost there. Anxiety assaulted her with renewed vitality. Her hands became sweaty and all her limbs shook, as if they passed through a windstorm. But all was quiet, save a rustling breeze that she should've found enjoyable.  
  
Leyna noticed their path along the grass was sloping upward. Legolas smiled back to her. "We've arrived." He said, as they crowned the hill. The sight astounded her. A city upon a near hill, with a tall, thin waterfall crashing into a crystal pool, unseen under the mist of the water and foliage. A palace sat, the highest building on the mount, and small huts, houses, along with larger stone mansions dotted the landscape down to the flat plain below it.  
  
From their gazing place, Leyna could look out over the whole city. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. There seemed to be a faint glow about it, as if something magical was at work, and she'd not have been surprised. She was struck with wonderment and awe.  
  
Then, like a sharp prick of the reality needle, she realized she'd have to enter this picturesque city, and meet her father. A pang of fear swarmed her. She clutched Legolas's arm.  
  
"Please don't make me go!" She cried. He looked at her, quite stunned. "But I thought you couldn't wait to see your father?" "No, I don't want to! I mean...I do, but can't we wait a little while? Until I remember more? He'll be upset with me!" Legolas tried to comfort her. "Leyna Anessendi! Listen to me, mellamin. Your father loves you so much. This unfortunate incident was not your fault. There was nothing you could do. He will take care of you and help you remember."  
  
Legolas's words did little to convince her, but his soothing voice took the edge off the fear. He'd be with her, she could do anything. She knew she'd have to go. "Okay. Let's go meet my father." They prompted their horses over the hill, and down into the valley beneath the palace on the hill.  
  
There, there was a gate. Guards nodded to Legolas and opened it, letting them pass, and shutting it behind them. They stopped at a small building just inside, and left their horses with a servant Elf in the stables. Taking their packs over their shoulders, Legolas led them down a winding path through gardens and trees and grasses.   
  
Leyna gazed all about, at the wonderful things. Tyron was right. It was much different than Mirkwood. Everything had a mystic quality to it. Surreal. Like it was too good to be true. Oh, but it was true. Thankfully, Leyna's enthrallment temporarily put off her fear, and she walked slowly down the path.   
  
Legolas hurried in front of her. He wanted her to get home. He wanted her to remember her life. To remember him.  
  
When her footfalls behind him grew fainter, he stopped and looked behind. She was meandering lazily, gazing at the tree leaves above and the flowers in the gardens. He briskly took her hand, tugging her along behind him.  
  
At length, the path led them to a quaint hut nestled in a small patch of beech trees. Leyna saw it appear through the branches as they rounded a curve. It was not familiar to her, but the uneasiness in her grew. She slowed, and Legolas looked to her. "Geril hûr? (Are you ready)" Leyna hesitated, and stared at the hut. She nodded, detachedly. Placing a reassuring hand on her back, he led her slowly again toward it.  
  
================================================================  
  
Anessendi - Leyna's second name, meaning 'green eyes'  
  
A/N this chapter contained "Watch the Wind Blow By" by Tim McGraw and "Hurt" by Johnny Cash


	13. Hello Father

Chapter 13 - Hello Father  
"Welcome Home"  
  
** -- Last Chapter** --  
  
At length, the path led them to a quaint hut nestled in a small patch of beech trees. Leyna saw it appear through the branches as they rounded a curve. It was not familiar to her, but the uneasiness in her grew. She slowed, and Legolas looked to her. "Geril hûr? (Are you ready)" Leyna hesitated, and stared at the hut. She nodded, detachedly. Placing a reassuring hand on her back, he led her slowly again toward it.  
  
** -- Now --  
**  
'This is it.' Leyna thought. 'The moment of truth. If my father doesn't make me remember my life, nothing will.' Legolas knocked on the door. The soft sound reverberated in Leyna's mind. Her ears strained for any sound of life within the dark oak door. A creak of the floorboards and a hurried rustle of the doorknob sent her springing behind Legolas, peeking around his shoulder.   
  
The door swung slowly open and revealed an exasperated looking young Elf. At least, Leyna thought he looked young. A bit older than Legolas, maybe. Though she could not recall ever hearing Legolas's age.  
  
The Elf had lighter hair than she, and it hung in shambles well beneath his shoulders. His eyes looked pleadingly at the visitors. Something about this Elf was familiar, Leyna had to admit. Though her life had not come rushing back to her as she had hoped. The Elf had forest green eyes, not unlike her own. They spoke to her without words. They pleaded painfully to her, so she had no choice but to respond.   
  
Leyna stepped out from behind Legolas, and upon seeing her, the Elf at the door shouted in joy. Something in Elvish that Leyna could not understand. He rushed to her and pulled her into a heartfelt and warm embrace. "A min mella lle, a min mella lle..." were the only words Leyna could decipher through the sobs of joy that racked the tall Elf's body. Leyna returned the embrace, as only a formality. Indeed, this Elf had a familiar quality, yet she did not know him.   
  
Finally, he pulled from the embrace and took her face in his slender hands, gazing into her eyes. "Emelen linna ceni chen. (My heart sings to see you.) I was beside myself with worry." He kissed her cheek and realized there was another visitor at his door. "Forgive me, good Legolas. I must thank you for bringing her back to me." Legolas only nodded. The Elf led them both inside and slowly swung the heavy door closed behind them.  
  
The home held a quality of disarray. Leyna thought she could see remnants of recently forgotten organization in the small family room. The Elf bustled about, clearing the dining table of books and maps, and gestured for them to sit. Legolas spoke first. "Calenmir Merenfaer (Kahl-ehn-meer Mehr-en-fah-yehr), when Leyna was brought to my kingdom, she was afflicted with some unfortunate incident. Her memory was lost. She did not know who she was, let alone anyone else in her life."   
  
Calenmir looked from Legolas to Leyna, seemingly dumbfounded. "You don't know who you are?" Leyna averted her gaze and shook her head. "Oh dear. Oh dear, well it will all be okay now, Leyna. You are home, where you belong. Everything will be okay now." She nodded in agreement, though she held some doubt, and still averted her gaze.  
  
"Legolas, would you mind stepping outside. I must speak with my daughter privately." "Of course." Leyna gave Legolas a pleading look not to leave, but he gave her an apologetic one, and left the room. Leyna's gaze followed him to the door and lingered there, until Calenmir spoke. "My daugher." He stretched his hand out to her, across the table. Looking suspiciously at it for a moment, she placed her hand in his.   
  
Calenmir gripped it tightly, and Leyna's eyes found his. "You truthfully remember nothing of your life?" She thought. "Well, I remember small bits and pieces. Mostly songs. Nothing of importance." "I felt something was amiss when I held you. But fret not, dear one. It will all become clear in time." Calenmir seemed so confident that he almost made Leyna's suspicion disappear.  
  
Almost.  
  
She still could not shake her wariness. She did not know this man. Of course she did not doubt he was kind and gentle and certainly loved her very much, but there was not a slice or sliver or shred of a memory of him in her mind. "It is nearly dusk, you must be tired from your journey." Leyna nodded. "You may say goodnight to Legolas, and I will fix you some tea before you rest." With that, he began bustling about the kitchen, and Leyna hurried to the door.  
  
She heaved it open with much difficulty and sprang outside, to see Legolas leaning against a nearby tree. He looked quickly to her, and opened his mouth to ask if she remembered, but shut it quickly when he saw the tears in her eyes. Leyna ran to him and buried her face in his chest. His strong arms wrapped around her and rubbed her back as he cooed softly in her ear. Her tears fell freely onto his tunic as she held his waist firmly, clutching his cloak tightly.  
  
"Nothing! Nothing!" She wailed into his shirt. A few moments passed, and her sobbing quieted. "I'll never know." Leyna sniffled. "Nonsense." Legolas pulled her away from him to look in her eyes. Gently pushing the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs, he said, "Just stay with your father for a while, things will come."   
  
He sounded so sure, and Leyna was so tired of crying that she decided to believe him and do as he suggested. "Goodnight." She whispered. "Goodnight, mellamin." Legolas replied, leaning down to kiss her lips softly.  
  
Leyna returned to the kitchen, and sat, drinking the steaming tea her father had given her. Calenmir sat across from her, studying her. There was something peculiar about her. And it was not simply the fact that she knew nothing of her life. Her eyes looked different. They were darker than he remembered them. Her ears, which he had thought were round as an effect of her accident, he now realized showed no mark of a cut or scratch anywhere. And she had a very strange air about her. So innocent and docile. She reminded him very much of his wife.   
  
His wife. That thought was unexpected. Sure, he thought of her every day, but it wasn't usually Leyna that reminded him of her. Leyna was much more like him. Calenmir shook off the thought. Leyna was home now, and that was all that mattered. He would do his best to make her as comfortable and as safe as he possibly could.   
  
"Leyna, is there anything that you'd like to know?" She thought. "Well, everything. But right now I'll settle for...when's my birthday?" She finished, with a smile.  
  
Such a simple question. Calenmir was expecting something a bit more meaningful. "You were born the tenth day of October, one thousand and fifty years ago."  
  
Leyna simply gawked at his answer. She was a thousand fifty years old! Much different than how old she thought she was; 22. Calenmir, seeing his daughter's reaction, began to explain. It seemed silly to him, having to tell her something that should've been a given to everyone. But still, he had to consider her condition. "You, as well as all Elves, are immortal."  
  
This revelation elicited a small gasp from her. She was immortal. A small smile crept onto her lips, as she realized what this meant. She and Legolas could be together forever.   
  
The hours passed, and they talked. Surprisingly, about nothing very meaningful at all. Leyna was careful to keep the questions light, and insignificant. After all those days of frustration, now was her chance to learn about herself. But she didn't take it. Why? If her father had asked her, she'd have said she didn't know. But she'd have been lying.  
  
She was scared.  
  
Scared that she wouldn't like who she was. Scared that what she found out would make her wish she didn't know herself. Leyna had gotten used to letting other people decide who she was, and if she found out for herself, they wouldn't do that for her anymore.  
  
The wee hours of the morning rolled around, and Leyna yawned. Calenmir suddenly noticed the time. "Oh dear, forgive me darling for keeping you so late. You must be tired from your journey." He showed her to her room, and before he closed the door behind him, he said, "I missed you, darling. A min mella lle." Leyna recalled her Elvish lesson with Legolas and replied, "A min mella lle, Ada."  
  
That night, Leyna slept in her bed. The first bed she had slept in in at least a fortnight. It felt foreign, and she found it hard to fall asleep at first. But, the softness of the comforter got the best of her, and she drifted uneasily until the sun was high in the sky the next morning.

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Calenmir - Green Jewel  
Merenfaer - Calenmir's second name, meaning Joyous Spirit


	14. Unexpected Business

A/N...thanks to all my wonderful reviewers…  
  
**Nessa Inwe** - yes, I'll do that every now and then. I cut lyrics of songs I use if they are irrelevant, or whatever. But thanks for the review!   
  
**Dust in the Wind** - Ty much. Please continue to R&R!!  
  
**Tador** - (grins mischievously) can't give away too much…no we can't. Nice little reviewerses…they'll keep reading, won't they? :)  
  
**Mb77** - thanks for bringing that to my attention, I have fixed it, if you'd like to go back to that part of the chapter and re-read.  
  
**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko** - hmm…I love withholding my plot from readers. It's fun making them guess…muahhaha…P.S. I love your reviews, they're like mini-cartoons. Haha, don't stop!!  
  
**ChildofGod-4ever** - thanks! That's a great compliment! In answer to your question, I am a girl, but Austin B. is not my real name. (That you must never know! I try to be extra cautious when it comes to internet privacy.) Keep up the reviews!  
  
Chapter 14 - Unexpected Business  
"Gandalf's Discovery"  
  
Her father roused her, and the scent of breakfast greeted her. "Did you sleep well, my dear?" "Yes." Leyna lied, as she took her chair at the table and began breakfast. "My old friend Gandalf has come upon my invitation when you went missing. I should like for you to meet him...again." Leyna nodded. The name sounded very familiar to her, and the feeling gave her hope for their meeting.   
  
"Did I know him very well?" "Oh, yes. Whenever he visited, you would follow him around and beg him to tell you stories of his adventures. But that was when you were an Elfling. When you grew up, he came to you to talk. I think he enjoyed the perspective and optimism of a young Elf."  
  
Leyna smiled. That sounded nice. She wished she could remember him. After she cleaned up, Leyna dug through her closet for a dress to wear. As she pulled out a sleek, light blue gown, a satisfied smile took her lips. She met her father at the door, and he gave her his arm as they walked down the path.   
  
She could never get enough of the scenery. The flowers were so vibrant. And the statues and the trees had such a pastoral charm. Leyna was so engrossed in the environment that she did not realize they had come to the palace. Her eyes took in the marvelously ornate carvings on the archways. They came to a room whose door was slightly ajar, and Calenmir creaked it open cautiously. When he saw the cloaked figure bent over a table, he pushed the door open fully and said with a smile, "Your nose caught in a book again, old fellow?"   
  
He led Leyna inside the room, and the old man stood from his chair and turned to face them. Leyna would have guessed he stood well over six and a half feet, and could have looked quite menacing. He had a white beard that covered most of his face and bushy eyebrows to match, but they did not hide the sparkle in his eye as he said, "Still sneaking up on unsuspecting old men?"   
  
They laughed and embraced. Gandalf turned to Leyna and inspected her from under his large white eyebrows. She certainly was as beautiful as he remembered. Her green eyes sparkled, and her skin glowed in true Elvish fashion. "My dear Leyna! How good to see you again!" He greeted cheerfully.  
  
She nodded sheepishly and said quietly, "You too." Gandalf approached her with long strides and tilted her chin up with his finger. Leyna was forced to look in his eyes. All thoughts of describing this old man as menacing were gone. His eyes were so friendly.  
  
But as he looked into her eyes, his face took on an expression of perplexity. Then, they widened momentarily and he turned quickly to Calenmir and ushered him out of the door saying, "I must speak to you privately for a moment, Calenmir. Just a bit, Leyna, darling."  
  
As Gandalf and Calenmir exited, Legolas entered the study. "What is the reason for Gandalf's hurry this time?" She simply shrugged, "I just met him, how should I know?" Legolas kissed her forehead and asked, "Still nothing?" Leyna's gaze dropped to the floor, as if she was ashamed of her incapability to recall. He gave her a comforting squeeze.   
  
Leyna looked up to him, "What would I do without you?" He smiled, "You won't ever have to find out." Leyna stood on her tip toes and kissed his lips lightly, before fluttering more small kisses down to his neck. He held her body tightly against his, and Leyna nuzzled into his warm embrace. Before thinking, she murmured, "I love you, Legolas."  
  
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped a bit. Those words instantly touched his heart. It was the first time since her accident that she had told him she loved him. And for some reason, this time it seemed more real, more heartfelt.  
  
He was not allowed to bask in his glory, however. Calenmir and Gandalf returned to the study. Gandalf seemed suddenly weary, and Calenmir shook, barely perceptibly, and his voice quavered when he spoke, "My daughter, I must ride on some urgent business. Several moons may pass before my return." Before she could ask any questions or protest, he had kissed her forehead and was gone, leaving her in the silent study with Gandalf and Legolas.  
-  
  
Outside, the sun was shining cheerfully, but it did not lift Calenmir's mood. As he strode quickly to his horse, he thought about the fight he had with Leyna the night she ran away.  
  
That night, Leyna did not run to see Legolas. She ran to find her mother. That was what they fought about. Calenmir lied to her about her mother's death. Now he had to find his wife, and when he did he was sure many of the questions aroused by Gandalf's revelation would be answered.  
  
-  
Inside the study, Leyna turned quickly to Gandalf, "What's his business that he's got to run off when I've just arrived?" "I'm afraid I am not at liberty to discuss that with you at the moment. When he returns, many of your doubts and questions will be answered, rest assured." Leyna threw her hands in the air. "That does not assure me at all! I swear, for the love of everything that is holy, I am gonna go nuts the next time I'm left out of the loop!"  
  
Legolas gave her a look of shock. He had never heard her speak so harshly before. But Gandalf gave her a look of understanding. "A bit longer. I promise, you will know everything you need to. But not now, and not from me."  
  
That put Leyna's argument to rest. "I must also go upon business newly recognized. We will talk later." She opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by a sideways glance as Gandalf strode out the door, leaving Legolas and Leyna silent in the study.  
  
She flopped down into a chair, heaving a monstrous sigh. Legolas sat silently across from her. "I wonder what their deals are." Leyna said, more to herself than to Legolas, but he responded anyway. "One thing I've learned about Gandalf in all my experiences with him is don't ask. He is very wise and I've come to trust his decisions." Legolas's words eased her a bit, and they ended up strolling through Rivendell, chatting.  
  
Leyna slipped her hand into Legolas's, and said wistfully, as they meandered along the stony paths under green leafed oak trees, "I wish my father didn't have to leave." "I bet he wishes so, too." "I just can't stop wondering what was so urgent that he had to leave me." "It is best not to think of it." "I know, but it's hard to get my mind off it."  
  
Legolas stopped, and Leyna looked back, quizzically. He stepped into her and scooped her face in his hands, kissing her lips hungrily. After a moment of surprise, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.  
  
When he pulled away, Leyna's eyes were still closed, savoring the moment and storing it in her memory. She opened her eyes and smiled into his grinning face. "Did that help take your mind off it?" Leyna grinned. "Off what?"  
  
And they walked. Every now and then, the stony path would open up into a square, sometimes with a trickling fountain in the middle, or with a statue or a flower garden. Leyna unconsciously hummed to herself. "You sing that song a lot." Legolas said.  
  
"Huh? Oh, what was I humming?" "The one that says, 'I'm tired/Cynical and broken but wiser.'" "Oh yeah, that one. I guess I do. I can't get it out of my head."  
  
The day passed lazily, with her and Legolas walking around town and meeting people. Legolas introduced them, though they already knew her. The Elves amazed her. She wasn't sure what it was about them, their musical laughter, the light in their eyes, or the glow about them, but they absolutely dazed her. It seemed strange, since she was one, how they captured her so. But it was as if she was meeting the race for the first time.   
  
The Elves of Rivendell had a different quality to them than the Mirkwood Elves. The Mirkwood Elves were more...homey. They were fabulously attractive, yes, but they seemed like they could be real. These Elves were beautiful and magical. Like they were from some fairy tale come to life.  
  
Eventually, Legolas led her back to her home where they had a simple lunch and sat on the back porch that Leyna was delighted to discover. With her belly full, and the warm sun on her body, Leyna was once again in thought.   
  
"What are you thinking?" Leyna snapped from her reflecting. "Oh, just about Mirkwood. I kind of miss it, and the people..err...Elves there." A troubled look came over Legolas's face.  
  
The seriousness in his look concerned her. "Can I ask you something?" "Of course, anything." "That guard, Tyron. Do you have feelings for him?" She was a little surprised, and hesitated. Legolas nodded, as if that was her answer. "Okay. You don't need to say any-" He was interrupted, "Yes, I do. I don't know what I felt for Tyron. I was alone and scared and confused. And he saved me, and he was so kind. But whatever I felt for him, it was just a prelude to what I feel for you. So don't feel threatened, Legolas! I love you." His eyes widened momentarily, and a grin slid across his lips.  
  
Leyna, too, grinned sheepishly. She hadn't expected to get out all her feelings so perfectly. It always took her hours to prepare what she wanted to say to get it all out right. But she had done it this time without even thinking.  
  
This porch on which they sat spanned the entire length of her house, and stuck about ten feet out from it. A porch swing was hung from the house, in the middle of it, lengthwise. On this, she and Legolas sat while talking. Now, Leyna felt an uncontrollable urge to be close to Legolas. She swung her legs over his lap and wrapped her arms around him, lying her head on his shoulder.  
  
She breathed deep the aromas around her. The smell of the forest, the timber of her house, the sweet pine scent of the Elf on whom she rested. "Tell me something about myself." She trusted he'd know some good things about her.  
  
Legolas thought. Where could he begin? "Well, would you like to know about the day we met?" "Oh, yes! Very much!" Leyna exclaimed. With a chuckle, he began his story. Leyna listened intently. Though she was captured in the story, she struggled for consciousness. The warmth of the day and the humming of Legolas's soothing voice made it difficult. Eventually, she dozed quietly, all the while, Legolas continued his tale.  
  
In her sleep, the terrible feeling returned. The terrible feeling of anxiety and foreboding she felt before entering this charmed city. Leyna was sure once she met her father it would not return. But it did return, ten times worse than it was last time.  
  
Legolas ended his story with a laugh that woke Leyna. She jerked off his shoulder and was confused about her surroundings for a moment. "Leyna?" Upon seeing Legolas beside her, her confusion was gone, replaced by memories of her dream. "What is it?" He asked.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, I fell asleep. I had the most terrifying dream. It was the one I had the few nights before we reached here." "You never told me about that." "It it was nothing. Just a dream, you know. It didn't mean anything, forget about it." "Leyna, dreams are not just nothing. They are your subconscious telling you things you won't listen to when you are awake and your mind is focused on other things."  
  
Leyna bit her lower lip. "It wasn't a real dream, dream. It was more of just a feeling. This horrible feeling of irrepressible anxiety. Foreboding, sorrow, worry and fear of..well, I don't know of what."  
  
Legolas nodded, as if it was perfectly logical. "What does it mean?" She asked. "I do not know. But a feeling so intense at an unknown cause is certainly not nothing."  
  
After a moment, Legolas added, "You always used to get strange feelings." Leyna looked to him curiously, noiselessly asking him to tell more. "Sometimes you would feel happy for no reason, or sad. Once, you even felt pain when you shouldn't have. You said it felt far off, like it wasn't happening to you, but you felt it all the same." He shook his head, "Never quite made much sense to me."  
  
Leyna furrowed her brow, but not in confusion. In thought. Yes, she had gotten feelings before. Just as Legolas described, far off. Like they were happening to someone else, and they were describing the feeling to her.  
  
A bird cried in the distance. A breeze rustled the leaves on the tree branches above. All was calm...except Leyna. Turmoil once again troubled her mind. There was more going on here than Gandalf and her father let her know.  
  
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A/N…Uh Oh! What's all this now? Yes, a mystery! Even I'm excited…and I know what's going to happen!  
  
REVIEW!!


	15. When the Rain Comes

Chapter 15 - When the Rain Comes  
"Feeling Small"  
  
Legolas had left when it began to get dark. Leyna sat on her couch and lit no candles. The sun went down, and still she sat. She recalled the events of the past few weeks. Surprisingly, her first thought was of Tyron. His sandy blonde hair, and dark blue eyes. She longed to see him again.  
  
She hadn't thought of him very much at the beginning of their journey. It was too painful. But as time went on, she found him in her thoughts more often. Her conscience was kicking her constantly for hurting him so badly. She just wished she could make things right with him.  
  
Despite having Legolas and her father around, two Elves who loved her very much, she couldn't fill the emptiness she felt. She recited words of a song that reflected her mood.  
  
_When the rain comes  
It seems that everyone has gone away  
When the night falls  
You wonder if you shouldn't find someplace  
  
To run and hide  
Escape the pain  
But hiding's such a lonely thing to do  
  
I cant stop the rain  
from fallin down on you again  
I can't stop the rain  
But I will hold you til it goes away_  
  
Leyna was surprised to feel a tear burn down her cheek. She wiped it away slowly and looked at her hand, moist with her tears, glistening in the moonlight. Yes, the moon had already risen. Leyna sniffled and wiped her face as she got up and walked outside to sit on the porch swing. She looked to the stars.  
  
They made her feel small. And she was glad for the feeling. When she looked at the stars she realized she was just one person in the entire world. There were other things happening that were much bigger. This was not the end of it all for her. Her life would go on, no matter what she knew about herself.   
  
Still, she longed for closure. A sense of who she really was. Almost without thinking, she whispered to the sky, "Who am I?" Leyna's heart jumped when she got an answer.  
  
"Leyna." She heard a voice say from the door. Spinning around, she saw Legolas walk toward her. "Holy mother of God! Legolas!" She yelled. Legolas laughed. "Apologies, I did not mean to scare you." Leyna took a few breaths and calmed down, "What're you doing here?" "Just thought I would come to see you. Is that alright?" "Oh, yes!" Leyna exclaimed, and scooted over to let him sit beside her on the swing.  
  
As soon as he sat, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and her head lay on his chest.   
  
"How are you dealing with all this?" He asked, genuinely concerned. Leyna simply shrugged, "Not the best...but tomorrow's another day, though...right? Any time now, everything could just come rushing back to me and everything would be okay." She rolled her eyes at the unlikeliness of that event before continuing, "I just don't know how I should feel."  
  
"Why not?" "It's hard to explain. I'm happy to be with my father, and you...but I'm angry that I can't remember. And on top of that, I'm scared to remember!" Leyna said exasperatedly. "You are scared?"  
  
"Yes, terrified." "Of?" Leyna laughed at how ridiculous her next statement would sound.   
  
"Of remembering... It's a dilemma, for sure."  
  
Legolas struggled to understand. She was frustrated and wanted to remember, but she was scared of remembering? He gave her a questioning look, signifying his incomprehension.  
  
"Well, I guess I'm afraid that if I remember, I won't like myself, and I'm scared that things will change...between us." Legolas sat back, and took her face in his hands. "Leyna, I love you no matter what you remember. I loved you before, and this has just made us stronger."  
  
She smiled and placed her hands on his. Leyna's heart fluttered. He was so sweet; he made her melt every time he said something like that. When he was near, the emptiness and fretfulness were dulled.   
  
Noticing the position of the moon in the sky, Leyna whispered, barely audible, "Stay with me tonight?" "Of course." He answered, reflexively.   
  
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A/N this chapter contained "When the Rain Comes" by Third Day  
  
Patience, grasshoppers. All will make sense in time.  
  
If I may suggest a story, 'I Will Catch You' by Kika1 is amazing. Also, 'Beginnings' and 'Middle Ground' by Adoralyne.


	16. Me, Myself, and I

A/N - I apologize for the super-shortness of the last chapter…-cough mb77 cough- ;) This one is much longer, I promise. And much more interesting…

childofGod-4ever - thank you for pointing that out, and please continue to do so, but...this chapter will explain.  
  
Yue - lol…wow, you crack me up…  
  
Tador: Please?  
Austin B.: No.  
Tador: Please?  
Austin B.: NO.  
Tador: Please?  
Austin B.: -_cheeks flush red, grits teeth_- NOOOO!  
Tador: -_cringes, says meekly_- Okay…geez…I was just asking…crab ass.  
Austin B.: -_Looks hurt_- I'm not a crab ass! Here, I wrote this chapter for you…  
(Haha…jp Tador. You know I love you, right?)  
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Chapter 16 - Me, Myself, and I  
"Enigma Exposed"  
  
The morning sun rose, cheery and bright. Before opening her eyes, a smile came to Leyna's lips, remembering the events of the previous night. Legolas was just so damn sweet. She had fallen asleep in his arms, and any thought of "night time activity" immediately left her mind as he held her and kissed the top of her head.  
  
But her smile turned to a frown when she did not feel his warmth beside her. She sat up, and looked around. Throwing off her covers, she stepped gingerly onto the cool wood floor. She was about to go look for him when he came barging through the door. Something very urgent was on the tip of his tongue, she could tell. His face was lit with a grin and his eyes were twinkling.   
  
But he did not tell her. Only when they reached the front door, and she refused to be dragged further unless he told her what was going on, did he finally exclaim with a smile. "Your father is returning!"   
  
Leyna's face lit, too, and she grinned. Legolas took off again, not needing to drag her, for she sprinted beside him.  
  
They came to the gate and stopped, looking out for any sign of her father. Leyna began pacing the road, ever watching out the gate. Legolas was the first to see.  
  
"There he is! Tirio! Look!" He exclaimed, and Leyna rushed to Legolas's side. Following his pointing finger, she saw a small horsed figure in the distance. "Eeeee!" Leyna squealed, jumping up and down.   
  
But she stopped jumping, and her smile faded as she squinted to see another horsed figure, following her father. She put a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. There were two figures on the second horse, she saw. "Who's that?" She asked Legolas, as if he knew. "I don't know."   
  
They drew nearer, and the two figures on the second horse were clearly female. The one in front had long light brown hair, like Calenmir's. Leyna could not see the other's face, only her clothes.   
  
She was wearing blue jeans.  
  
Leyna's stomach began to flop. The palms of her hands became moist, and her knees shook. They were close enough for Calenmir to shout out a greeting. "Suilannad!" Legolas repeated it, since Leyna would not…could not, rather. The all too familiar feeling of anxiety had returned.   
  
Calenmir dismounted, and the other horse trotted beside him, revealing the first Elf's face. Both Leyna and Legolas's jaws dropped. She was a perfect replica of Leyna! The Elf hopped down with a smile and jumped into Legolas's arms. "Legolas! It is so good to see you. I did not know you would be here!"  
  
But the Elf quickly remembered Leyna, and turned to her, taking her hand. Leyna studied her own features on this Elf's face. The image was a bit unnerving.  
  
"Maus govaded len, pleasure meeting you, Jocelyn." Leyna's eyes widened.  
  
'_Jocelyn?'  
_  
In the back of her mind, fuzzy memories began to pile up. "Oh no." Leyna said softly as she began to understand. "Who are you?" A whisper was all she could muster.   
  
After a pause, the Elf decided to break it to her. "I am Leyna Anessendi."  
  
A soft sigh of a held breath left Jocelyn's lips, as she processed this information. The memories that had piled up in the back of her mind were becoming clearer.  
  
The second figure had dismounted unnoticed and was now standing in front of her. Jocelyn's attention was drawn from Leyna holding her hand to the other body on the second horse. She took a sharp breath as she laid eyes on her. It was the woman she had seen in her mind.   
  
Without thinking, a murmur escaped her lips, "Momma?" Her mother nodded with a slight smile. Leyna dropped her hand and moved so Jocelyn could vault herself into her mother's arms.  
  
Then it came. Everything. Her life and memories flooding back to her in one rush so quick it spotted her vision and made her legs buckle. Thankfully her mother held her in a tight embrace. Jocelyn muttered numbly into her mother's neck, "Momma…momma." All the while, her mother shooshed her and stroked her hair. "It's alright now, Jo. I've got you. It's alright."  
  
The emotion Jocelyn was feeling was indescribable. Utter, immense relief was prevailing. There was also confusion. The Elf, Leyna. How could she look like her? She realized the day she met Legolas, he had mistaken her for Leyna. So he was not in love with her after all. This thought pierced her heart as an arrow does a target. He was in love with Leyna, and he'd marry her.   
  
She also realized how impossible her situation was. Literally impossible. Now she knew why she felt déjà vu at the mention of Mirkwood and hobbits. Because she had read about them in the Tolkien trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Three books which she had read several times and became fascinated by them. And here, she had fallen in love with Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of Mirkwood. THE Prince of Mirkwood, a fictional character. Impossible, yet it had happened. The sound of Legolas speaking made Jocelyn pull from her mother's embrace.  
  
"Leyna? Manen?" (How?) He asked. Jocelyn noticed the tears welling in his blue eyes as Leyna stroked his face. "Legolas. It is alright. I know you were confused. But I am here now. And it IS me!" She giggled, and kissed his lips quickly. Jocelyn squeezed her eyes shut tightly, to rid her mind of the image and her stomach of the pang of jealousy, as she buried her face in her mother's neck once more.  
  
This time, her mother pulled her away, and asked, "Jocelyn, how on Earth did you get here?" She looked to the ground, remembering. It would've felt so good to remember, had the memory not been so unpleasant.  
  
------FlashBack----------------------  
  
"G'bye momma. I love you." "Oh be careful sweetie! And call me the minute you get there!" "I will!" Jocelyn Merenfaer laughed as she hopped in her car. Waving goodbye one last time to her mother through the window as she pulled out of the driveway, she was on her way.   
  
It always made her sad to leave home, but she couldn't wait to arrive at her destination: New York City. She had gotten a job there; an internship as a designer at RoCo. The woman who owned it, Ronda Connor, needed a design partner for her shop. Jocelyn had attended Rochester University for fashion design, and was utterly thrilled that Ms. Connor would even consider her for the job.   
  
RoCo. was an up and coming chain of women's clothing stores. The only thing that surpassed the store's prominence was the designer. You could see her pieces on the red carpet, draping the voluptuous curves of some famous actress.   
  
Jocelyn had found an apartment near the shop she was to be working out of, and was a bit scared of city life. But, she had always been a determined girl, and her dreams were within grasp. Nothing could stop her now. Or so she thought.  
  
Jocelyn was singing with the radio as she made her way along a winding deserted highway in her black jeep. The sun had long since sunk beneath the horizon, and the stars were beautiful diamonds against the blue-black velvet sky. And she sang:  
  
_I'm tired  
Cynical and broken, but wiser  
Heavy with a sense of resentment  
But I used to be so much different  
I used to have so much faith  
  
When I started  
You knew that I always meant it  
I knew I could make a difference  
  
I struggled to be heard  
And then finally one day people started listening_  
  
She saw lights coming from around a corner ahead as she began to cross an old bridge, so she shut off her brights. But when the truck came around the corner, Jocelyn was distraught to find it was straddling the dividing line! The truck's yellowish white lights glared in her eyes and blinded her vision. The driver may have fallen asleep, she did not know, nor did she have time to think about it.   
  
She jerked the wheel to the right, causing her jeep to crash into the metal guardrails that lined the bridge. Unfortunately, the metal rails on the old bridge were not enough to stop the tough jeep. It crashed through them and went flying through the air, into a deep valley of rocks and trees.   
  
The last thing Jocelyn thought about before she crashed to certain death was, strangely, a story her mother had told her when she was young. A story of a young woman who found a gateway into another world and fell in love with an Elf there. They were married and had two beautiful daughters, and lived happily ever after.  
  
Then, she felt a split second of pain in her head and all was black.  
  
------End Flashback-----------------------------  
  
Jocelyn finished her recollection of the crash, and looked to her mother, whose face was streaked with tears. "Oh, baby!" She sobbed and pulled her into another embrace. "Baby, I'm so sorry!" "It's okay, momma. It's not your fault. I'm so glad you're here." "Me too, baby. Me too." She sniffled, and stroked Jocelyn's face.  
  
Jocelyn, surprisingly, had shed not one tear. It seemed a bit surreal to her. Like something she'd always wanted, and never expected it to really happen. She basked in the moment. In the memories. In her mother's warm embrace.   
  
She recalled the many times she had talked to her mother about whatever was troubling her, and how she'd always feel better afterwards. Amazed at the memory, Jocelyn tightened the embrace, as if her mother would slip away if she loosened.  
  
Meanwhile, Legolas was in a different sort of surreal ness. It was too horrible to be true. How could fate be so cruel? Legolas was betrothed to Leyna. And he had fallen in love with Jocelyn. What devilry could spin a web so evil and crafty? Now what was he to do? He asked himself those questions as he stood, struck dumb, listening to Jocelyn's recollections and watching her and her mother.  
  
Calenmir, on the other hand, was quite happy, actually. Jocelyn had her memory back, and he had his wife and Leyna with him. Calenmir looked from Jocelyn to Leyna. His mistake was painfully clear to him now. Calenmir wanted to see Leyna so badly, he was blind to the differences that should have been, and now were, so obvious.  
  
Leyna and Calenmir, the only two not so emotional that their senses were dulled, heard Gandalf walk up to the company. Leyna smiled and bounded to him, giving him a light hug. "Nae saian luume, Gandalf." (It has been too long, Gandalf.) "That it has, dear Leyna. No doubt your father has told you the story. It is only fair I tell Legolas and Jocelyn, also."

He turned to Jocelyn's mother, who was still holding Jocelyn. "Anna Merenfaer, suilannon len, mellon. (Anna Merenfaer, I greet you, friend.) We must talk more later. Now, I will answer Jocelyn and Legolas's questions with my tale. Things will make much more sense after, so listen!"  
  
Legolas looked to Gandalf, and Jocelyn was released from her mother's embrace. Gandalf began, directing his speech to Jocelyn, "Jocelyn, when I met you yesterday and looked into your eyes, I knew you were not Leyna. I had known Leyna all her life, and your eyes are so much different. I told Calenmir that you were not who he thought you were, and he rushed to find his wife. Because, Jocelyn, you and Leyna are twins."

He turned to Legolas, and to be sure he understood, said, "Gwenyn." (twins) "I realized if you were not Leyna, you must be her twin sister, who lived on Earth with her mother. The day you lost your memory, you must've crashed through the portal."  
  
Leyna decided she'd best tell her side of the story before Jocelyn completely lost it, which she'd noticed, was not too far away.  
  
"I imagine that was around the same time Ada and I fought about mother. I had found his journal, and that's how I knew where the portal was. I went to Earth to find her, and only managed to a few days ago. She told me I had a sister, and she had gone missing. I suggested looking here. So we came, and Calenmir met us just outside Mirkwood forest's borders. He told us Gandalf had said the girl claiming to be me, was not me. That's when we realized Jocelyn must not know who she is."  
  
Jocelyn's head was swimming. She had a twin sister. That explained the feelings she got sometimes. It has been said that twins are linked, and when one feels an extreme emotion, the other can as well.   
  
It was too much. Too much for her to take in all at once. Jocelyn's body swayed with fatigue, and her mother held her so she wouldn't fall. "Bring her with me." Gandalf commanded, and Anna supported Jocelyn and led her after Gandalf, followed by Calenmir and Leyna. Legolas followed last, walking dazedly. He had yet to accept his fateful mistake.  
  
Jocelyn was taken to a room in the palace where a servant could bring cool water for Anna to dab Jocelyn's flushed face with. Anna asked the others to leave so she could be alone with her daughter. They complied, and Anna spoke softly to Jocelyn, whose eyes were rolled back in her head. Anna applied more cool water to Jocelyn's face, and her eyes opened, focusing on her mother. "Momma?" "Yes, sweet pea, I'm here."  
  
Jocelyn looked about, to see new surroundings, and her mother leaning over her. Then she did what both of them least expected. She burst into tears.

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A/N .. this chapter contained a bit of "Slow Descent" by Starlight Run  
  
--Elves did not pass their last names to their children. Second names are given to them, reflecting something about their looks or personality. Anna took Calenmir's second name, Merenfaer, and passed it to Jocelyn, as is Earth custom. But Leyna was given her own second name, Anessendi.  
  
-Austin B.-


	17. Time Marches On

A/N... I own Anna, Jocelyn, Calenmir, and Leyna  
  
**Kchan2982**: _-growls, holding knife to Austin B.'s throat_- POST MORE, NOW!  
  
Austin B.: _-trembles-_ O-okay, kchan, t-take it easy now. H-how about if I post two chapters? Huh? Then would you put the knife down?  
  
**Kchan2982**: meh, okay. _-drops knife-_  
  
Austin B.: Psych! _-runs away and posts a really short chapter with a bad cliffhanger-_  
  
**Kchan2982**: NOOOOO! I'll get you Austin B. if it's the last thing I dooooo!  
  
(Lol. J/k Sorry for leavin ya hangin on that last chapter. Cliffhangers are fun, don't you think?) I'm jus messin wit ya. These two chapters are kind of short, so I posted them both, just for you!  
  
**Tador** - your welcome.  
  
**Mb77** - I really thought I was clever for thinking up that explanation. Is it really used that much?  
  
**ChildofGod-4ever** - please don't die! I need you to review! There are so many intense emotions my characters are feeling right now, it's just crazy! I could pull this story in tons of different ways, but I did it like this, and I hope you enjoy.  
  
**LunarianPrincess, Banana4422, Crecy, and nessa.  
**  
P.S this story is set about 22 years after LOTR movies came out  
  
Chapter 17 - Time Marches On  
"An Explanation"  
  
Jocelyn had burst into tears upon seeing her new surroundings and her mother leaning over her. She did not know what else to do. She wanted to ask questions, but words would not form in her mouth.   
  
She never thought remembering the truth would bring so much pain to those around her. Especially to the Elf she loved, she thought, remembering the tears she saw in Legolas's eyes. As her sobs quieted Jocelyn looked to her mother, asking without words, since she could find none, for her to tell more.  
  
Anna began, "Jo, when I was younger, 22 Earth years younger to be exact, I walked into a portal. It was a portal to another world. Middle Earth. Now, I realized how impossible it was. I read Tolkien's books, I knew the place wasn't real, but there I was. So very confused, I wandered through Mirkwood Forest and across the Great River, through the mountains until I came to Rivendell. There, I met a wonderful Elf named Calenmir Merenfaer, and we fell in love.   
  
"We were married, and about the time you and your sister were born, I had become terribly homesick. I missed my friends and family and all the modern luxuries I had taken for granted. I didn't belong here and it became too much to bear. Eventually, we agreed that I would go home. It was considerably harder, however, to decide what was to become of our daughters.   
  
"Leyna had pointed ears, and we finally decided she would be accepted in Middle Earth as an Elf. Because time moves faster here, she would age quicker. But that wouldn't matter, as she'd live forever. That is why you are 22, and she must be, what? 1050 by now?   
  
"But anyway, you had round ears, like me, and you would fit in Earth much better. So, I went home with you, and Calenmir kept Leyna with him. I was determined to come visit my husband and daughter often, but then The Lord of the Rings movies came out, and became popular, and it was too dangerous to travel between worlds. I've missed him and Leyna every day since I left, but I was positive my decision was for the best."  
  
Jocelyn had sat up on the bed, listening to her mother's story, absolutely enthralled. But, as Anna finished, Jocelyn suddenly became angry. Her eyes widened and her face reddened.   
  
"So, you split me from my twin, lied about my father, and kept my heritage from me my whole life?" Her voice raised involuntarily with her temper.   
  
"Darling, please, you must realize I did this in your best interest."  
  
"No, it was in YOUR best interest." Jocelyn shoved past her mother and appeared to be storming out of the room, but spun around and strode back to Anna.   
  
"You just couldn't live without your indoor plumbing and television! If you had let me stay here, my life would have been so much better." Her voice had lowered, and she practically whined the last part.  
  
"No, doll. It would've been so much _different_." Anna nearly whispered, desperate to make her daughter understand. Jocelyn's face saddened, and she threw her arms down to her sides in exasperation. "So now what?"  
  
"We go home." Anna replied simply, as if the answer should have been obvious.   
  
_Home._   
  
What a great thought. Or it should have been, at least. Jocelyn wanted to be happy to be going home, but she couldn't be. She didn't want to leave Legolas. Or her father. Or her twin sister, for that matter.  
  
But, she did want to return to her normal life. Go to New York. Claim her job. Live her life the way she knew how.  
  
Anna saw the disagreement in her daughter's eyes. She sighed and took her in her arms. "Don't worry, sweetie. I know this is a lot on you, but you're not alone. I'm here, baby. You don't have to worry." Her mother's words comforted her like no one's ever had. But they also brought back a memory. …_You're not alone, Kamilah_… Tyron had said to her, right before their first kiss.   
  
The comfort her mother had instilled in her was gone, replaced once again by indecision and pain. She didn't want to leave Middle Earth. And that was the only thought in her head the rest of the night as she slept, cuddled up to her mother as she did when she was a girl in Michigan, scared by the oak tree scratching her window in the storm.  
  
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A/N … I know there may be some questions about how if Calenmir married Anna, wouldn't he have to give up his immortality? Well, yes, if you want to be exact. But I don't really feel like it.

It couldn't fit it in with the story. Believe me, I tried to be accurate, I really tried to work it in. But I just couldn't. I suppose they got married, but since she did not live in ME, he didn't have to give up his immortality? Or, if you prefer, you can pretend they didn't get married at all. She just took his name as an informal union.   
  
I apologize profusely for the imprecision, but please just try to over look it this once.  
  
Also, I made up some stuff about difference in movement of time in the two worlds. This is how it's gonna work…in Middle-Earth, a whole bunch of years go by before 1 year goes by on Earth. So, Leyna grew up much faster than Jocelyn. And then, when a human comes to ME, they transition to the time movement there, thus living quicker and shorter lives than people on Earth, yet still getting in the same amount of years, if you understand my thinking. I had to do this because Legolas would not be involved with an Elfling of 22 years, and my whole plot would've been ruined.   
  
**Austin B.**: _-begging you to forgive my inaccurateness-_ "Surely, you see my dilemma."   
  
**Reviewers:** _-stern expression-_ "Don't call me Shirley."


	18. Keep Walking

A/N...Uber-short chap. Sorry! Next ones will be much longer!  
Short as it may be, it's important. Really revealing Legolas's feelings.   
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Chapter 18 - Keep Walking  
  
Legolas had followed the family to a room in the palace, where Anna was sponging cool water on Jocelyn's face. But when she asked them to leave, he had a hard time with it. He needed to talk to her. Very badly. But, he had no choice but to comply. He realized Anna needed to speak with her also. He'd have to wait his turn. This mess may take a while to sort out.   
  
This mess that he made. It's true, it was all his fault. If he hadn't jumped to the conclusion that she was Leyna, none of it would've happened. Although, it would've been pretty hard not to jump to that conclusion. They did look exactly alike. Save the ears, and minor differences in hair and eye and skin color.  
  
Legolas wandered the halls of the palace, heedless of anything around him. Which is why it took Leyna three tries to get his attention.  
  
"LEGOLAS!" She finally shouted, as she jogged up behind him. He spun around, quite startled and a bit dismayed at being shouted at and brought out of his thoughts. His expression softened reflexively as he saw Leyna jogging to him. But it hardened again as he realized it was really Leyna, not Jocelyn.   
  
She giggled as she reached him and placed a kiss upon his cheek. "Deep in thought?" He nodded. Leyna's brow furrowed, "El mae?" (Do you feel well?) He managed a weak smile, and again a nod. "Berel?" (Do you promise?) She asked with a hopeful smile.   
  
He paused. Her smile faded. "Leyna…" He began. "…I thought Jocelyn was you." "I know." "Does that not bother you?" "No. It could have happened to anyone." "It should not have happened to me. I should have known." "You could not have." Leyna placed a hand on his chest. "I do not blame you. I just wish we could forget about it and go on with our plans." She said as she hugged his chest, with her arms around his waist.  
  
Legolas unraveled her arms from his body. She gave him a questioning look. "You wish to forget that I fell in love with your twin sister?" Leyna's jaw dropped. "Pennil man?" (What did you say?)   
  
Legolas's crystal blue eyes pierced her soul as he re-stated, "I am in love with Jocelyn."  
  
Leyna struggled to understand. She searched the floor for answers. "But…we…we are to be married." "We were. I cannot marry you while my heart belongs to another. It would not be fair, to either of us. I am sorry, Leyna." He said, and walked past her. She stared into space, slack jawed, still comprehending what was said.  
  
She suddenly spun on her heel and called after him, "But I love you!"   
  
He kept walking.  
  
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A/N…It seems like someone is always getting hurt in my story. Oh well, GO LEGOLAS! Ahem, sorry. Please review.  
:)  
-luv ya's-  
Austin B. 


	19. I Will Carry You

Austin's Notes: Q and A with **moonbunny77  
**  
- sorry I nicknamed you. I get lazy sometimes, and you signed a few reviews with mb77. Anyway, let's get started with your answers, or we'll be here all night…  
Legolas was so happy to see 'Leyna', he overlooked a few things. And yes Leyna was independent and argumentative sometimes, but c'mon…he's Legolas. Would you be able to keep your hands off him? Lol. And he was her fiancé, so she'd be happy to see him.   
Ratio of time passing….um….does it matter? I mean, if you really wanna know, I'll break out the Trig and figure it out for you.   
It would be difficult for Anna to have explained her and her daughter's disappearances and accelerated aging to people if she had visited ME too often…I think that makes sense.   
As for immortality, I'll discuss it in the sequel (Yes there will be a sequel.) As for now, Jocelyn knows nothing about the option of even living as an immortal, and Anna I guess forgets to tell her, or doesn't want her to know because she's afraid she'll not come home with her.   
Peredhel? I don't really know what that is. Sorry, my naivety is a problem, this I know. I'm working on it.  
As Leyna said, she found her father's journal and that's how she knew where the portal was. When Jocelyn crashed, she flew out of her vehicle through the portal, that's how she got there. (Apparently, she wasn't wearing a seat belt) Not many people visit the bottom of a rocky ravine. And, to pass through the portal, you have to think about where you want to go. -Phew- You are an inquisitive person. (It's a good thing, really.)  
  
**Tador **- Thanks, glad you approve. Love-ya  
  
**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko** - NO! You're going to kill my Jocelyn!   
  
**Aloha, gaterback** (very enthusiastic!) **Estriel, Amfmchic, Etheraldragon, and Crecy** (genius! I love everyone having someone, too)  
  
What's a troll?  
  
P.S. This chapter is in a lil bit different format. Tell me if you like it.   
  
Chapter 19 - I Will Carry You  
"Pleading Proposals and Reluctant Refusals"  
  
"Momma, when do we leave?" Jocelyn asked, as she and her mother lay in bed. They hadn't spoken yet, but both knew the other was awake.   
  
"So, you are going with me?"   
  
Jocelyn sighed. "Yes."   
  
"You do have a choice, you know. You are half Elf, and you can live in this world if you so choose."  
  
Jocelyn pondered the thought. "No, there's nothing here for me. I'll go home."   
  
After moments of silence, Anna said plainly, "I'm hungry." Which elicited a burst of laughter from Jocelyn at how ridiculously unexpected the remark was. Anna chuckled, "Well, I am! Aren't you?" Jocelyn nodded, and Anna got up to 'rustle up some grub' as she so eloquently put it.  
  
After her mother left, Jocelyn lay with her hands behind her head, staring at the intricately designed ceiling. Oddly enough, there was a ghost of a smile wisped on her lips. It just felt so damn good to remember. She made a special note to store this feeling in her mind. She also made a note to appreciate the small things in her life on Earth that she had missed so much.  
  
The small things like how her best good friend Lynn and she could laugh over the smallest things, and how she and Rena could get together with absolutely nothing to do and have a great time. How the rain sounded on the roof of her house. How her concerned friends sent her silly cards and videos when her boyfriend broke up with her.   
  
Amidst her thoughts, her half-Elven ears caught something stirring outside her door. She sat up at the sound of a knock at the door.   
  
"Who is it? Man tan?" She repeated her question in Elvish, in case it was a servant. Her heart jumped and her stomach dropped when she heard the familiar voice say, "Legolas."  
  
Jocelyn jumped out of bed, a bit too quickly, and she had to take a moment to blink the dots from her vision and shake the head rush off, before opening the door. Upon sight of his face, Jocelyn had to swallow a lump that began to well up in her throat. 'Oh great.' She thought. 'If I'm almost in tears at the sight of him, I wonder how I'll manage when he starts talking.'   
  
After a moment of silence and staring at each other, Jocelyn asked, "What?" Then, afraid she sounded a bit harsh, she stepped aside to let him pass, "Come in." He complied, and Jocelyn shut her eyes when his forest scent floated to her nose as he walked past her. She shut the door, but before she had time to speak, Legolas began, "I told Leyna I cannot marry her."  
  
Jocelyn's jaw dropped. "You what? Why?" Legolas paused, as if the answer should've been evident.   
  
"Because, I love you. I want to marry you, and I want you to stay here with me." Legolas said, as he stepped in to her. She stepped away.   
  
Suddenly very angry, she raised her voice, "Why should I stay, huh? There is nothing here for me! My whole life is on Earth!" She lowered her voice and pointed her finger accusingly closely in his face, "I know what it's like to lose everything, and I'm not about to go through that again."  
  
She turned away from him, and he argued, "But before your life was taken from you. Now you can make the conscious decis-" He was cut off.  
  
"I HAVE made the decision. All this has taught me not to take my life and my blessings for granted. I have to go back and appreciate them all I can…while I can."  
  
She waited for him to speak, but he had no words. Jocelyn turned away again, but felt him gently take her arm and turn her to face him.   
  
"What about me?" He asked softly.  
  
Jocelyn made a face. "What _about_ you?"   
  
"What am _I_ supposed to do?"   
  
Jocelyn rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Oh I don't know…maybe marry Leyna like you were supposed to in the first place!"   
  
Legolas's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, so even Jocelyn's half Elven ears had to strain to hear him. "I want to marry the woman I love. Not a name."   
  
Jocelyn was torn between confusion and joy. "Don't you love Leyna?"   
  
After a pause for effect, Legolas answered, "No. I love you." Jocelyn's pretty face was turned in amazement. Tears brimmed her eyes, and one spilled over, burning her cheek as it ran down to her neck.  
  
She finally looked away, and whispered, the pain apparent in her voice, "Legolas, I can't stay."   
  
"Why? Why can't you? We can get married, and you can be my Princess."   
  
More tears spilled over at the thought. "But I'm mortal. I will die."   
  
Legolas began to get excited. She was considering the idea! He stepped in to her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "And so will I. So I won't have to live a moment without you."   
  
"But your father…" Jocelyn began to argue.   
  
"Avopreston. (I don't care) Forget him. All that matters is our love and our happiness."   
  
"But my life…" She began again.   
  
Legolas did not let her continue her argument. He pulled her close, so close that she could feel his breath on her lips. "You can have a life here, too. We can build it, together." Jocelyn was tempted to close her eyes and give herself to his touch. But she could not. She pulled away.  
  
Legolas gave her a hurt look. Jocelyn noticed it. She also noticed the fear in his eyes. Fear that he would have to live without her. New tears flooded her eyes, so that it blurred the image of him in front of her. She sniffled, and attempted to blink them away, but they would not cooperate. More spilled over and left scorching trails down her face.  
  
Legolas wanted so badly to hold her and kiss away her tears, but it was not to be. He knew very well he would die without her, but if she would be happier in Earth, he decided it was worth the sacrifice.   
  
"Very well." He said, and walked past her and out the door.  
  
Jocelyn broke down. She crumpled to the floor and let her tears fall unhindered onto the cold stone. Through her sobs, she did not hear her mother rush in, set down the tray of food, and hurry to her. Anna took Jocelyn in her arms. Jocelyn immediately wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and cried into her shirt. Long, loud, wailing cries, as one who is struck a fatal blow to the heart.  
  
Anna muttered comforting things and stroked her hair. Jocelyn cried until she had no more tears to cry. Her head was pounding and her eyes were red and puffy when her cries softened to whimpers. Then, her mother sang:  
  
_Yeah I know it hurts  
Yeah I know you're scared  
Walkin down the road that leads to who knows where  
  
don't you hang your head  
don't you give up yet   
When courage starts to disappear  
I will be right here  
  
When your world breaks down  
And the voices tell you turn around  
When your dreams give out_  
_I will carry you   
  
When the stars go blind  
And the darkness starts to flood your eyes  
When you've fallen behind   
I will carry you  
  
Everybody cries  
Everybody bleeds  
No one ever said that life's an easy thing  
  
that's the beauty of it   
when you lose your way   
close your eyes and go to sleep   
and wake up to another day_  
  
Listening to her mother's soothing voice, Jocelyn drifted into a light sleep. She never knew crying could be so exhausting.  
  
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A/N this chapter contained "I Will Carry You" by Clay Aiken  
  
Wow. That was an intense chapter. I thought so, anyway. I cried, and I even knew what was going to happen. Review! I love to hear what you think.  
  
-love-  
Austin B.


	20. Bring on the Rain

A/N…For this story I tried really hard to post a new chapter every day, and I know I've been slacking on my updates, sorry bout that. But updating every day is really hard! I've been writing myself silly! But, every few days is good enough, right?  
  
**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko** - thanks for returning her. She's been asking when she'll get to come play with Elladan and Elrohir again. I told her not to bother with your crew, you're bad news, but she'll have none of it.  
  
**Moonbunny77** - I'm glad my answers were satisfactory. But my toes are starting to hurt. Lol j/k.

**Loz-179** - Legolas says thanks for the encouragement. And Austin B. says thanks for the review!  
  
**Crecy**, and **LunarianPrincess**  
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Chapter 20 - Bring On The Rain  
"Discussions"  
  
When she woke, she was happy. For that split second before she remembered her situation, she was happy. It all could've been perfect. She knew her name, and she knew Legolas loved her, and it could've been perfect. She could've been happy forever. But then she remembered the rest. Her life on Earth. She had to go back. She had to leave Legolas. And she was sad.  
  
"Morning." Anna said, as she noticed her daughter stir. "Breakfast?" Realizing how hungry she was, as she hadn't eaten last night due to Legolas's visit, Jocelyn removed herself from the warm bed to eat with her mother.  
  
Anna didn't ask any questions. And Jocelyn was glad for it. She probably would've broken down again. How she could talk to her mother about anything that was troubling her and always feel better afterwards. They ate in silence. Not a heavy, uncomfortable silence, but a calm, understanding silence that pleased Jocelyn.  
  
As Jocelyn finished off a strawberry, she sat back and said, "I don't want to do anything today."   
  
"Okay." Anna replied immediately, not looking up from her own breakfast. The request was perfectly acceptable to her.   
  
And nothing, they did. They hardly talked, even. They simply sat on the balcony, or lounged on the couch or bed. But wherever they were, Anna always sang. Jocelyn would've too, but her heart was still too heavy. Her mother's voice helped, and Anna knew it. So she sang:  
  
_Another day has almost come and gone  
I can't imagine what else could go wrong  
Sometimes I'd like to hide away  
Somewhere and lock the door  
A single battle lost but not the war  
  
It's almost like the hard times circle round  
A couple drops, and they all start comin down  
  
Yeah I might feel defeated and I might hang my head_  
_I might be barely breathin, but I'm not dead  
  
Cause tomorrow's another day  
And I'm thirsty anyway  
So bring on the rain  
  
No I'm not gonna let it get me down  
I'm not gonna cry  
And I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight  
  
Cause tomorrow's another day  
And I am not afraid  
So bring on the rain_  
  
It was one of Jocelyn's favorites. Especially when heard from her mother's smooth voice. It made her feel strong, though she was actually nowhere close. The problem was still too near.  
  
During the day, Jocelyn thought a lot. Much, much different thoughts than the days before. Though they still had the same basic concept:  
  
Confusion.   
  
Was she making the right decision? Her mother seemed to think so. And that was good enough for her…at first. But, as always when she started thinking too much, she second guessed her decision. Her mother wanted the best for her, right? Or did she just want Jocelyn with her no matter what? For this reason, Jocelyn asked her mother, gently, to leave and send Gandalf in. Which she did, of course.  
  
Gandalf entered after knocking, at command from Jocelyn. He seemed a bit wary, not knowing the state she was in. But he visibly eased when he saw her sitting in a chair, calm as could be.   
  
"Hello, Gandalf." She said with a smile.   
  
"Maer erin, dear Jocelyn. Manen el arad?" (Good morning, dear Jocelyn. How are you today?)   
  
"I am considerably better. But I have something I must ask you."   
  
"Oh?" He raised his brows in curiosity.  
  
Jocelyn stood, and began pacing, apparently trying to find words. She stopped abruptly and asked, "Am I doing the right thing by going back to Earth?"   
  
This question was not expected. "Well…I cannot know the answer to that. I do not know what you left behind, if it is worth giving up what you have here for."   
  
"But what do I even have here?" She asked.   
  
"You have your father, sister, me, and Legolas." Jocelyn thought.  
  
"But I know what I have at home. I have my mother, my friends, my job." With a great sigh, Jocelyn plopped back into her seat. "It's too hard to decide. I wish I didn't have to choose."   
  
"I know. But when you encounter a fork in the path of your life, one choice is bound to be the right one."   
  
She laughed a little at this mysterious proverb. "Yes, and one choice is bound to be the wrong one."   
  
Gandalf too chuckled a bit, then returned to his seriousness, "I fear I cannot help you in this. Though I would do everything in my power if I could."   
  
"I know. Thanks for listening." He kissed her forehead before turning for the door.  
  
As he exited, he met Leyna coming down the hall. "Maer erin, Gandalf!" She said cheerfully.   
  
"And to you, Leyna. Man sad bedil?" (Where are you going?)   
  
"I was off to have a chat with my sister." She said 'my sister' with great adoration. Gandalf was a bit concerned with this meeting unchaperoned. Of course he knew Leyna to be a gentle Elf, but she was very passionate when she got emotional. A bit hesitant, he left her on her way.  
  
Leyna knocked gently on the door.   
  
"Man tan?" (Who is it?)   
  
"It is Leyna." The feminine voice came through the door. Jocelyn looked up, surprised, and a bit nervous.   
  
"Come in." She called, not liking how shaky her voice sounded.   
  
"Suilannad." (Greetings.) Jocelyn said, when Leyna came to sit across from her.   
  
"Suilannon len." (I greet you.) Leyna replied.   
  
A silence followed. Neither were quite sure what to say. Their circumstances was unique, and both had the luck of not having to experienced it before.   
  
"So." Leyna said finally, "Legolas chose you." The statement struck Jocelyn a bit odd. Usually, one would try to break the ice at this point, not thicken it.   
  
"I am truly sorry, Leyna."   
  
Leyna put a hand up to silence her. "No apology necessary. You are my sister and I love you." Jocelyn looked Leyna straight in the eye with shock. After all she'd done to this poor Elf, however accidental, Leyna loves her?   
  
"We're connected." Leyna continued, in a low and mysterious tone, "Have you not felt it?"   
  
Jocelyn looked strangely upon Leyna, as if only just now realizing she was her twin. "Yes, I have." She placed a hand on her stomach, "Right in here."   
  
Leyna nodded in agreement. "For never meeting, we sure are a lot alike."   
  
"How do you figure?"   
  
"We have the same taste in Elves." She laughed. Jocelyn was a bit taken aback that she would joke about it so soon after she surely got her heart broken. But, she laughed with her anyway.  
  
Jocelyn braved through her misgivings, and asked Leyna, "You're not angry with me for breaking you and Legolas up?"   
  
Surprisingly, Leyna smiled, a bit painfully though it seemed. "No. You must've been so terrified. I can't imagine what you went through. And it seems you and he were better matched than he and I. For that I am glad he has found happiness with you. I just wish you two the best of luck."   
  
"Well, actually, I'm going back to Earth soon."   
  
Leyna's smile disappeared. "You're leaving him?" Jocelyn nodded. "But he loves you so much! He'll surely die without you!" Leyna was genuinely concerned with Legolas's well being.  
  
Jocelyn, however, thought Leyna was simply being melodramatic. "It will be as hard on me as it is on him. But he'll get over it. He'll forget me."   
  
Leyna simply shook her head with a knowing look. "He'll not. Please, I beg you! You two are matched! Stay with him! For both your sakes!" Leyna was standing now, waving her arms wildly about.   
  
Jocelyn looked upon her, doubtful of her sanity. "Leyna, I can't stay here. I don't belong here. That's all there is to it." Her voice held such confidence and determination that Leyna knew there was nothing more she could do to convince her. With a solemn look, she bid her sister farewell and took leave of her.  
  
Jocelyn let out a sigh as she left. A sigh of relief. Just having Leyna around at the time was stressful. Because of this, Jocelyn set out to find her mother and tell her she wished to leave in the morning.  
  
But instead of finding her mother, Jocelyn rounded a corner and found Legolas walking toward her. Her breath caught in her throat and she wished she could just run back around the corner as if he hadn't seen her. But Legolas did not give her the chance.   
  
"Jocelyn!" He exclaimed and jogged to her. "I'm glad I ran into you." He said, as he reached her. Jocelyn mustered a weak smile. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."  
  
"I'm just fine." Jocelyn lied. She cringed at the uncertainty she heard in her own voice, and prayed Legolas didn't catch it. But he had. He opened his mouth to speak, but Jocelyn did not think she could handle him being sweet and sensitive, so she spoke quickly, "Will you be going back to Mirkwood?"   
  
Legolas furrowed his brows at her; why would she not let him speak? "Yes, but I have not set a departure date…have you?" He asked, with so much dread in his voice that it made Jocelyn's eyes sting, threatening to produce new tears.  
  
"Yes," She gathered her voice after swallowing the lump in her throat, "I'd like to leave tomorrow morning."   
  
As if her words had bit him, Legolas flinched. Jocelyn knew she was hurting him, and it was almost too much to bear. She wanted to apologize for causing him so much trouble, but his red rimmed eyes choked her.  
  
He breathed deep and steadied his voice before saying, "Know this. Just because you're leaving…doesn't mean I'm letting you go… I'll love you always."  
  
Seeing his chin tremble, and his crystal blue eyes clouded with tears, Jocelyn could stand it no longer. She turned away from him and sprinted down the hall, as fast as she could.   
  
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A/N.. this chapter contained "Bring on the Rain" by Jo Dee Messina  
  
:( My poor characters.  
  
Before you ask, Leyna would have so totally killed her if it was anyone else that had taken Legolas's love from her. But, since it is her sister…her TWIN sister to boot, she'll have to deal. The only thought that kept her sane was that Legolas would be happy now, and he'd be better off than if he was with her. 


	21. Discussions Part II

**moonbunny77** - hm, okay. That's all I get? j/k  
**Mika Saito**…I hope you enjoyed the rest of it!  
**Kay, Crecy, Nringa Bleh**  
**ChildofGod-4ever** - I understood it perfectly. I don't know if that means it really made sense or that we're both nuts. :)  
**Nessa Inwe, LunarianPrincess! Hermione Heart, **and** Audrey Baxter  
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**  
Chapter 21 - Discussions Part II  
"Confessions of a Distressed Father"  
  
When Jocelyn reached her room, she slammed the door behind her and dove onto her bed, releasing her tears into her pillow. How she could feel so much pain was beyond her, and what she had done to deserve it was, as well. All she wanted was to leave this sorrowful world that very moment. She wondered where her mother had gone, but she dared not go out searching for her, for fear she'd see Legolas again.  
  
Her head snapped to the door as she heard a knock. She was immediately at ease, thinking it was her mother.   
  
"Come in." She called. And much to her surprise, Calenmir stuck his head through the cracked door.   
  
"Ada?" Jocelyn questioned, asking him to explain his visit. He entered her room, and shut the door before speaking.   
  
"I have come in hopes of persuading you to reconsider your decision to leave Middle Earth."   
  
Jocelyn sighed. "Did Legolas send you?" And, not waiting for an answer, she ranted, "Because if he did, Lord help me, I'll kill him! He knows how hard it was for me to make my decision, and harder every time he begged me not to go! But he knows I have to leave; it's best for me!"  
  
Calenmir waited patiently for her to finish. She panted, out of breath from her raging, and looked at him, the anger fading from her eyes.   
  
"Legolas did not send me…I am your father, Jocelyn. Though I have not always known you, I have always loved you. And I cannot stand idly by while you make the biggest mistake of your life."   
  
At this, Jocelyn opened her mouth to protest, but Calenmir held up a finger to silence her.   
  
"Let me finish. I know your mother loves you and she missed you. She does not want to let you go again." He began to pace. "I have also come to realize your dependence upon others to make decisions for you. Legolas to decide your identity - a false one, I might add - and your mother to decide which world you should choose to stay in." He stopped pacing and placed a hand upon Jocelyn's cheek, saying affectionately, "No one should decide your fate but you."  
  
Jocelyn's mouth slightly agape, her eyes soft, awestruck, she placed her hand on her fathers and breathed, "Oh Ada." Kissing his palm, she took his hand in hers. "I know you love me. I also know my mother wants the best for me. I trust her advice, and it's what I want, too. Thank you for your concern."  
  
Calenmir nodded humbly in defeat, and kissed her forehead before leaving.  
  
Jocelyn blew the hair from her face and plopped in a chair. Her father's strong concern for her decision unsettled her a bit. But, she was so terribly sick of second guessing herself, and she was weary of pondering her choices that she decided she would do so no more. Her mind was made up, and it would stay that way. She was going home, to Earth.  
  
When Anna entered her daughter's room, she found her staring out the window, as if there was something interesting to see. But, upon looking over her shoulder, she saw the same landscape as had always been there, and yet Jocelyn's stare did not cease. It was only when Anna laid a hand on her shoulder that she realized her presence.  
  
"Dear Lord, mother! Do you really need to sneak up on me?"   
  
Anna laughed with mock scolding, "I did no such thing, young lady! If you weren't so caught up in your thoughts!" Jocelyn smiled, and returned her gaze to the window. Anna's brow stitched with worry. "Sweetie, is everything alright? What happened with Gandalf?"   
  
"A lot's happened since this morning, mom. I talked to Gandalf, Leyna, Legolas, and my father!"   
  
Anna recoiled in surprise. "It's been not two hours!"   
  
"I know. Short conversations. Short, but intense. All of them, so very, very intense…Where were you, anyway?"   
  
"Visiting my husband. Is that alright with you?" She asked sarcastically. "But who cares what I was doing…tell me about your day!"  
  
Jocelyn proceeded to tell her mother every word and emotion expressed in her day's conversations. Anna was remarkably pleased with Leyna's understanding and good sportsmanship. Upon hearing of Jocelyn's encounter with Legolas, Anna had to wipe tears from her eyes. And, she seemed particularly offended at Calenmir's distrust for her intentions. But, all of this was forgotten, as Jocelyn revealed what she hoped would be the date of their departure.  
  
Her face lit. "Of course, darling!" She paused, and the light in her eyes dimmed a little. "You're sure?" Jocelyn nodded. "Okay, then. We'll have to start packing. We need to make our way back to Mirkwood, and find the portal."   
  
Jocelyn thought a moment. "The portal…it wouldn't happen to be a round clearing, with a big boulder in it, would it?"   
  
"Why, yes it would." Anna smiled.   
  
"That's where I woke up." Jocelyn explained, looking a bit forlorn.  
  
Anna gathered Jocelyn into a hug and squeezed her tight. "We're on our way, baby. It'll all be over soon. And things can get back to normal."  
  
Jocelyn scoffed inwardly at the statement. There would never again be a 'normal' in Jocelyn's life. This ordeal had changed her. It had taught her things - life lessons, if you will - that she would teach others, and live by the rest of her days. The most important ideal she had learned was to not take what you have for granted. Appreciate everything. Down to the last flake of snow, drop of rain, ray of sunshine.   
  
The rest of the day was a blur. Anna went to Calenmir's house and brought back Jocelyn's things. She busied herself around the room, packing both she and Jocelyn's bags, while Jocelyn sat and watched. Saying she would leave, and actually preparing to leave were two completely different things. Packing confirmed the reality and gravity of her decision. And she couldn't bring herself to do it.  
  
Jocelyn wandered to the bathroom, and leaned her hands on the cool countertop. Looking in the mirror revealed a very haggard looking girl. Much different than the pretty girl she'd almost recognized the first day she looked at herself in Middle Earth.  
  
She looked around the bathroom and gave a startled cry as a thought jumped at her. Jocelyn sprung into the bedroom and lunged at the bag her mother had brought from Calenmir's home. Her fingers dug greedily through it, until they produced several plain white bottles. Jocelyn's fervor quieted, and she was content. She screwed off the top of one and held it to her nose, inhaling deeply.   
  
Her berry shampoo.   
  
Jocelyn gently tucked the bottles back in her pack, and saw her mother out of the corner of her eye, unmoving. She looked to her and found her staring back at her with a very confused look.   
  
"What?" Jocelyn asked innocently.   
  
Anna just shook her head and gave an amused scoff, muttering, "Strange, strange child."   
  
Jocelyn gave no heed and returned her attention to restoring her pack to it's neatness, after having ripped it apart in search of her Mirkwood shampoo. She returned some dresses and things to it before coming upon her old clothes. The ones she had worn the day of the crash. Holding up her Jou Jou Jeans, a smile came to her lips as she remembered that morning. It had taken her forever to match her black shirt to those jeans. But the shoes were a given. They were her 'Big City Shoes' as she called them.  
  
She sighed and folded them neatly, placing them in her bag with a smile of longing. Her mother was finishing her packing as Jocelyn set her bag in the corner and returned to her post by the window. The sun was setting, she noticed. A pang of nervousness shot through her as she realized how soon she'd be leaving. But, it eventually ebbed away and Jocelyn heard her mother say, "You should get some sleep. We'll be leaving very early tomorrow."  
  
Jocelyn nodded, and rose from the chair. She changed to her sleep gown and tucked herself in beside her mother.  
  
A few hours later, Jocelyn felt her mother's even breathing beside her, and knew she was asleep. Why she couldn't do the same, she didn't know. And as much as she tried to keep the thoughts away, the events of the day still ran through her head like a movie.  
  
A thought stuck particularly well in her memory. What her father had said to her. "_No one should decide your fate but you._" Those words haunted her and hung in her mind. They were so familiar. Suddenly it clicked. They reminded her of Tyron. "_I don't think anyone should decide who you are but you."   
_  
Jocelyn sighed. If only she could see him again. Things were much simpler with him. She never felt this angst or indecisiveness when he was near. He never would cause her pain. Of course, she knew Legolas never meant to cause her pain. But that did not stop her from wondering what would've happened if she hadn't met Legolas, and she and Tyron could have stayed together.  
  
Jocelyn did not sleep that night. Images of Tyron filled her mind, and pushed out all thoughts of her present situation. A wistful smile lingered on her lips. Memories ran by, seemingly played in a slow motion film, which lasted until sunrise.   
  
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A/N...it's winding down...but I've still got about 5 more chapters in me.  
Review!  
Austin B.


	22. Leaving Again

A/N…  
  
**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko** - darn computers. Good to hear from you again though.  
**LunarianPrincess** - You always give me the greatest reviews. Thanks much!  
**childofGod-4ever, Crecy, CrazyCruzet212, MikaSaito**  
  
Chapter 22 - Leaving Again  
"No More Tears"  
  
Jocelyn was hardly aware of the dawn's light in her room, so deep she was in thought. But her mother stirring beside her brought her from never-never land.   
  
"G'morning, mom."   
  
Anna groaned groggily. "Why are you so chipper?"   
  
"I didn't sleep. And my chipper-ness is only so in comparison to your crabbiness." Jocelyn chuckled.  
  
Anna, slowly shaking the sleep from her eyes, sat up.   
  
"You didn't sleep?" She repeated, ignoring her daughter's comment.  
  
"Nope." Jocelyn sighed, sliding from the bed to take a bath.   
  
When she finished with her bath, Jocelyn found her mother dressed and waiting.   
  
"Impatient?" Jocelyn asked a bit sarcastically.   
  
"No. Just prepared." Anna replied, with mock hurt.   
  
Jocelyn tried not to focus her thoughts on any one thing. Her mind drifted from the weather to the journey ahead to their destination. Home.   
  
Before she knew it, they were standing outside the palace, under a purple and pink sky. Anna looked up to study it, with a smile, while Jocelyn searched for their means of transportation. She spotted Gandalf, Calenmir, Leyna, and two other Elves by the stables, and she headed for it, grabbing her mother's cloak.  
  
"Maer erin (Good Morning)!" Gandalf said, as they approached.   
  
"And to you, Gandalf." Anna replied, then turned to one of the unknown Elves. "Suilannad, Lord Elrond."   
  
He tilted his head to her. "Maer erin, Anna Merenfaer." Jocelyn grinned. This was Elrond, Lord of Rivendell.   
  
He turned to her and took her hand, "Jocelyn Merenfaer, this meeting has been too long delayed. As aun nin gelid. (It is a pleasure)" His eyes seemed to pierce her own, to look deep inside her soul. She could not look away. Until he released her hand and stepped back.  
  
Calenmir spoke to Anna, "So, you'll be on your way then?" Jocelyn was sure she heard, and saw, the pain he felt at having to say goodbye to his wife again. And after so short a time. He hardly got to see her at all.   
  
Anna simply nodded, unable to speak. Calenmir gathered her into a strong hug and kissed her lips tenderly. He then took Jocelyn's hand.   
  
"My daughter, I have missed you every day since I let you go. It is even more painful the second time." He gathered her, too, into a hug and whispered in her ear, "I am so proud of the person you've become." When he pulled away, she felt a weight of cold metal around her neck, and she looked down. There, hung a silver star pendant that shone, though no sun touched it.  
  
She looked to her father, who said, "Wear it always, and think of your family. Know that we will always be with you." He held out the pendant on his necklace. It was identical to hers.  
  
Finding her voice, she said, "Hannon len, Ada. Harmathon ant lín ned guren. (Thank you, father. I shall treasure your gift in my heart.)"  
  
Now Leyna stepped to Jocelyn to say her goodbyes. She hugged her sister and sobbed, "A min mella lle, muinthel. (I love you, sister.)" Leyna released her and dug into her tunic, pulling out a pendant identical to Jocelyn and Calenmir's. She kissed it, then took Jocelyn's pendant in her palm and kissed it as well. "A min mella lle, dear sister. I will think of you often."  
  
Leyna hugged her mother, with many a tearful, "A min mella lle, Naneth." Leyna finally released her mother and buried her face in her father's tunic. Gandalf called toward the stable for three horses to be brought. Almost immediately, a small Elf came, leading two white horses and a brown one.   
  
Gandalf took the reins and spoke, "Geril hur? (Are you ready?)" Both the women nodded. He handed them each reins to their horse, and they tied their packs to the saddles. The other horse he handed to the unknown Elf next to Elrond.  
  
"The path into Mirkwood is a dangerous one. I am sending a guard with you." Elrond gestured to the Elf next to him. "Ennethen Gaerlin (gah-yehr-leen). Buion lín, Hirilen. (My name is Gaerlin. I am your servant, my ladies.) They nodded to him, and about this time, Jocelyn began to wonder if Legolas would show up to say goodbye.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted however, by Elrond's final farewell. "No vaid lín na'alen a i 'waew adel len (May your paths be green and the breeze behind you.)" Gaerlin mounted his horse, and the women did the same. Jocelyn began to feel a knot forming in her stomach, and a lump in her throat. The finality of the moment was unsettling.  
  
Gaerlin turned from the group and cantered off, with Anna behind. Jocelyn looked upon her father, sister, Gandalf, and Elrond. But she could find no words of farewell to say that would fit her feelings. So, she blinked away her tears and put a hand over her pendant, which lay on her heart. Leyna and Calenmir did the same. That was all that was needed. She turned to follow her mother.  
  
Jocelyn resisted looking back at them for quite a while, though the urge was strong, and she could feel their eyes on her back. A deep disappointment fell upon her. Legolas had not come to say goodbye. She was unsure if it was a good thing or not. She may have just broke down and thrown herself into his arms, professing her love and accept his proposal.  
  
Deciding it was a good thing he hadn't shown up, Jocelyn rode up next to her mother, and craned her neck to see her mother's chest. Without turning to her, Anna pulled down the collar of her shirt to reveal her own star pendant. Satisfied, Jocelyn returned her attention to avoiding a glance back at Rivendell.  
  
Her efforts were dashed, however, when she heard his clear voice shouting faintly to her.   
  
"Jocelyn! Jocelyn!" She turned and saw Legolas running swiftly down the hill and stop in the middle of the path. "Jocelyn!" He yelled again, but she just turned back around. Anna looked back to see Jocelyn's face tear streaked and grimaced in sorrow.   
  
She slowed her horse's pace to fall back in step with Jocelyn's. Anna took her daughter's hand. "Everything's better at home." She tilted her chin to look her in the eyes. "No more tears, baby, okay?" Jocelyn did her best to nod, and they rode on, hand in hand, following Gaerlin, leading them home.  
  
That night, as they lay around the fire going to sleep, Jocelyn crawled from her blankets to her mother. She writhed her way under the covers and draped Anna's arm around her shoulders. Knowing her mother was awake, she asked, sounding very childlike, "Mom? Please?"   
  
Anna knew what Jocelyn wanted. At their home, when Anna tucked Jocelyn into bed as a child, Jocelyn always wanted her mother to sing her to sleep. Now, this tired Anna very quickly, and she came to use it as a reward when Jocelyn was good, and took the 'sleep-song' away if she was bad. This night, Anna decided Jocelyn had been good enough (and had been through enough) that she deserved a song to soothe her to sleep.  
  
So she sang:  
  
_All our tears have reached the sea  
Part of you will live in me  
Way down deep inside my heart  
  
The days keep coming without fail  
New wind is gonna find your sail_  
_And that's where your journey starts  
  
Just like the waves down by the shore  
They're gonna keep on comin back for more  
Cause we don't ever wanna stop  
  
Out in this brave new world you seek  
O'er the valleys and the peaks  
And I can see you on the top_  
  
_Remember me when you're out walking  
And snow falls high outside your door  
Late at night when you're not sleeping  
And moonlight falls across your floor  
  
I can't hurt you anymore  
  
You'll find better love  
Strong as it ever was  
Deep as the river runs  
Warm as the morning sun  
  
Please remember me  
Please remember me…_

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Gaerlin - meaning 'the sea gleams in the eyes'  
  
A/N…. I put Jocelyn through so much! I'm a horrible person. HA! Just kidding. Jocelyn must suffer so that I can get reviews. That's how this works.   
  
This chapter contained 'Please Remember Me' By Tim McGraw  
  
Review!


	23. Another Reunion

**Nessa Inw** - Else? That's the best you could come up with. Lol j/k Yeah, Tim McGraw rocks! Thanks for the review!  
**Name1**, and **Maria  
**  
Chapter 23 - Another Reunion  
"Face to the Sunshine"  
  
Their journey went without incident, and it had been two days since they passed the Forest Gate and into Mirkwood Forest. Jocelyn stressed to Gaerlin the importance of night watches. She'd be damned if she came in contact with another one of those cursed spiders. Her concern and fright seemed to amuse the others in her company very much, which irritated her to no end.  
  
Each day that passed was exponentially worse for Jocelyn. The distance put between her and her family…and her and Legolas, saddened her. She held her star pendant and felt its smooth metal on her fingers. It seemed the longer they traveled, and the further away they got from Rivendell, her star pendant's shine diminished.  
  
Jocelyn thought a lot about her parents during those days. How hard it must have been to have to leave your husband and daughter. As they set out in the morning, unsure of how her mother would react, Jocelyn asked some questions.  
  
"Mom?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"What was it like?"   
  
"What was what like?"   
  
"Having to leave your family.  
  
Anna sighed, dismayed at having to remember. "It was harder than anything I could ever go through again." Thinking this was a sufficient enough answer, she told no more. But Jocelyn was not satisfied.   
  
"Didn't you miss Ada? I mean, you didn't see him for twenty-some years."   
  
"Of course! I missed him every day. But it wasn't like we were completely out of touch."   
  
"But…I thought you said you couldn't travel between worlds anymore."   
  
"I couldn't travel to see him, but…" She struggled to explain, "Elves have a power of telepathy, to an extent - your father, a bit more than others. Even with humans, he could speak, and I could respond. But only for a short amount of time. Humans' minds weren't designed to handle that much power."  
  
That night, Anna dropped off to sleep early, and left Gaerlin and Jocelyn chatting idly about the fire. Gaerlin told her it would be their last fire for a while, and to savor it now. Gaerlin was a wise Elf, and regaled her with tales of battle and heroics. Eventually, their conversation turned to love.  
  
Gaerlin had a wife in Rivendell, Dúrvainwen was her name, and Jocelyn noticed a dreamy look come on his face when he spoke of her. His love moved Jocelyn, yet saddened her. For it highlighted her inability to obtain such love. Well, her inability to keep it, anyway.  
  
Gaerlin avoided the topic, for he knew Jocelyn's hurt. But his other tales did not keep her mind from it. He noticed a forlorn look in Jocelyn's eyes.   
  
"Lady Jocelyn? Talking helps."   
  
Jocelyn smiled. "Your concern is appreciated, Gaerlin, but I believe I've talked about it enough."  
  
He let the subject drop, but apparently she hadn't talked about it enough, for she began with a scoff, "Love. A many splendored thing, to be sure." Sarcasm dripped from her words.   
  
"It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop." Gaerlin said. Jocelyn furrowed her brow at his strange choice of advice.  
  
"Meaning…?"   
  
He laughed, "Meaning, falling in love is wonderful. But when the love stops, for whatever reason, on whichever side, few ever really recover. It's terrible to suffer through such a thing, but if you never take the chance, you shall never know if you are missing the greatest thing that has ever happened to you."   
  
"What if…what if you find love, and it's the greatest thing that's ever happened to you, and you can't be together…for whatever reason." Gaerlin knew she was talking about her and Legolas, and he paused to find the right words.   
  
"One can love many in this world. But there is only one soul we are meant to be with forever. And everything that is meant to happen, does."   
  
"So, I should just wait to see if fate brings us back together? Is that it? I should put my life in the hands of some supernatural force that no one's really sure even exists?"   
  
The urgency for answers was apparent in her tone. Gaerlin smiled, "Faith, Jocelyn. Faith. You're not on your own. There's always someone helping you. Always some unseen force guiding you." Gaerlin's confidence reassured her, and she realized how tired she was. A yawn relayed that realization to Gaerlin. He kissed her forehead and said, "It's not the load that breaks you, it's the way you carry it. You must keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. Goodnight, Jocelyn." She smiled at this Elf. Always quoting mysterious and wise proverbs.  
  
Gaerlin's words comforted her. It would be nice to not have to worry about if she was making the right choice. Everything that's meant to happen does. All she had to do was have faith that things would work themselves out, and the answer would make itself clear.  
  
-----  
The sun was straight overhead the next day when Gaerlin halted the trio. He gestured for them to stay silent as he jumped off his horse, drawing an arrow to his bow, and crept off the trail. A few seconds later, the women heard someone shout, and Gaerlin yell something quickly in Elvish.   
  
Another few seconds passed, and Gaerlin came walking out of the woods, holding the reins of a tan horse, and pushing an Elf in front of him. They came onto the trail, and the Elf looked up to the women. Jocelyn gasped, and Anna looked at her strangely. Did she know him? Yes.  
  
A large grin came on her face and she shouted, "Tyron!"  
  
The Elf's face, which had been wrought with shame and displeasure, lit at the sight of her. "Kamilah!" He exclaimed. Jocelyn jumped off her horse and into his arms. They laughed, and he spun her around a few times before setting her in front of him, though he never took his arms from her.  
  
She touched his face, as if to be sure he was real, and not just some fair dream or wicked devilry the forest had conjured up. And he passed this test, it seemed, because she threw her arms about his neck once more and held him tightly. Finally, she drew away and asked excitedly, "Tyron what are you doing here?"  
  
Neither of their smiles faded as they talked, "I came to find you, and I would have ridden all the way to Rivendell if this Elf had not jumped in front of my horse!"   
  
"You came to-" Jocelyn was cut off from her exclamation by Gaerlin clearing his throat, indicating the need for an explanation.   
  
"Oh Gaerlin, mom, this is my friend Tyron son of Eadoin of Mirkwood." She grinned at him.   
  
"Your mother?" Tyron asked, amazed.   
  
She nodded vigorously. "I've remembered, Tyron! I've remembered!"   
  
"Oh, wonderful!" He laughed and swept her into another embrace.   
  
Anna smiled, "Oh, so this is Tyron?"   
  
"Yeah, momma." She giggled, as Tyron released her.   
  
Anna had dismounted and looked him over. "Jocelyn's told me much about you."   
  
"Has she?" Tyron looked down at Jocelyn, who smiled sheepishly.   
  
"Good to know ya, Tyron."   
  
"And you, Miss…" He paused for her to finish his sentence.   
  
"Anna. Just Anna."   
  
"Where are you headed?" Tyron asked. Jocelyn's expression fell. She looked to her mother and Gaerlin, silently asking privacy. They complied.  
  
"Tyron," Jocelyn struggled for words. "My name is Jocelyn Merenfaer. I am half Elf. Leyna, the one Legolas mistook me for, is my twin. She is half Elf, too. I live on Earth…and I'm going back." It seemed so simple when she said it like that. Jocelyn wished that was all there was to the story.   
  
Tyron's gaze fell to the ground. He was hurt. "I'm sorry, Tyron."   
  
He smiled at her, weakly. "There is no need…Jocelyn." The name fell strangely on his tongue.   
  
A few moments of silence passed, and Jocelyn said cheerily, "But, keep your face to the sunshine and you won't see the shadows, as someone once told me. So, let's forget everything for now and just hang out. I missed you so much!" Jocelyn exclaimed.  
  
His gaze lifted to her face, and his eyes were not so grave. Flattered, even. "You did?"   
  
She nodded. "I thought about you tons. It seemed like everything anyone said reminded me of you." They laughed and talked about nothing at all for a while. Gaerlin and Anna returned, and joined the conversation. Eventually, they decided they needed to keep moving. And Tyron rode with them.  
  
Two days after Tyron and Jocelyn's reunion, they rode on through Mirkwood, and were inseparable. She told him everything. Everything she felt, saw, heard, and said. So happy was she to see him, she didn't think of what would happen when they reached the portal. And Tyron so loved to see her happy, did not remind her, though it was ever on his mind.  
  
But Anna did not want the time to sneak up on her daughter. That night, she asked Tyron to leave her and Jocelyn for a moment.   
  
"You do realize we will be leaving soon." Though Anna knew her daughter had not realized it, Jocelyn nodded.   
  
"Yeah, ma, I know."   
  
"Okay." Anna said simply.  
  
She turned to return to her own blankets, but stopped.   
  
"And it shall come to pass that in the day the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve."   
  
Jocelyn smiled strangely and made a face to her mother. "When did you become so religious?"   
  
Anna chuckled, "When I thought I'd lost you."

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Not much really happened in this chapter. But yes, Tyron is back! He will play a bigger part in the story than I guessed at first. Tune in next time! 

Review!

-Austin B.


	24. The Flip Side

A/N…ah! I'm getting close to 100 reviews! That's exciting for me.   
  
**Nessa Inwe, Crecy**, and **YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**!! Thanks guys!  
  
This is relatively short, but my best good friend from Cali is visiting for a few months and I've been partying all night and chillin every day!   
---------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 24 - The Flip Side  
"Fading Slowly"  
  
The night before Jocelyn was to leave, Legolas did not sleep either. He did not even attempt to sleep, for he knew thoughts of her would haunt him. Instead, he paced the floor of his room, pondering. Of course, there was nothing he could do to stop her, but he pondered how he could cope with her absence.   
  
The sun rose stealthily, and Legolas realized they must be readying to leave. He had already decided he would not watch them go. But the more he thought about Jocelyn riding away, the more he wished to see her face one more time. To kiss her one more time.  
  
Finally, it became too much, and he sprinted from the palace and down the hill. When he saw three horsed figures riding off in the near distance, he shouted.  
  
"Jocelyn! Jocelyn!"

With his Elvish eyesight, he saw Jocelyn's body turn toward him. His heart jumped, he stopped running and yelled again, "Jocelyn!"

But his heart ceased jumping, ceased beating even, it seemed to him, when she turned back around and kept riding.  
  
There, he watched them ride off, until they could no longer be seen. And still he stood, hoping against hope that Jocelyn would come riding back again and jump into his arms. But it became clear to him no such thing would be. So, he turned and made his way back to the palace, unaware of Gandalf and Elrond watching him intently.  
  
Elrond broke the silence. "How will he fare?"   
  
"I do not know." Gandalf said detachedly.   
  
Elrond knew when his friend was deep in thought. But before leaving him to his musings, he asked, "How long do you suppose he will last?"   
  
When Gandalf was silent, Elrond knew his answer and argued, "He is strong."   
  
Gandalf turned to face him and said simply, "So was their love." Then, he turned to follow Legolas.  
  
Upon reaching his room, Legolas collapsed on his bed. For a while, he lay listening to the sounds of Rivendell. The birds, the Elves, the waterfall, the breeze. Sounds of peace. Though he felt none. No complete thought could be made in his mind, except for 'She is gone.' The finality of the thought disturbed him to such a point that he contemplated breaking down, and releasing his tears.  
  
The thought would've become a reality, had Gandalf not knocked on his door just then.   
  
"Yes?" Legolas sighed.   
  
Gandalf poked his head through the door. "May I come in?" Legolas nodded, and Gandalf pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. He did not speak for a while, just sat there staring.   
  
Finally, Legolas burst, "What is it, Gandalf?!"   
  
Unfazed, Gandalf asked, "You know the danger you are in?"   
  
"Yes." He replied calmly.   
  
"You are my friend and I want to help you, if you'll let me."   
  
Legolas scoffed and got up to pace the room. "You can't help me."   
  
"I can. But you must want to be helped."   
  
Legolas threw his arms in the air, "If I was meant to be helped, Jocelyn would not have left!"   
  
"But Jocelyn did leave. And you need to move on. Do not dwell on this any longer. It is not good for you."   
  
Legolas began to get angry, "How can I not, Gandalf? How can I forget the deepest love I have felt in nearly three thousand years?"   
  
To this, Gandalf had no answer. It was clear Legolas was not ready to be helped. So, without another word, Gandalf left him. Legolas faced the window, and heard the door close lightly, indicating Gandalf's exit. He breathed a sigh of relief. He did not want any visitors. He did not want anyone to see him like this. As he gazed over Rivendell, a sudden lump welled in his throat. He returned to his bed and lay on his stomach, not even attempting to swallow the tears that sprung to his eyes.   
  
-----  
For the next two days, he lay there. Not letting anyone in, not going out. Just laying there. With tears ever present in his eyes. Gandalf knew he could not continue like this. Food was sent to him, but he did not eat. He no longer cared what happened to him. If Jocelyn was not with him, his life didn't matter. There was a hole in his heart and in his soul. A hole that only one person could fill. He'd never be complete again.  
  
A few days later, Elrond visited, and suggested he make his way home. Perhaps his parents could comfort him. The idea had not occurred to Legolas, and it seemed like a good one. Though he seriously doubted his strength to make the journey, he made ready to leave.  
  
He refused to let Elrond send a guard with him, insisting the journey would go faster alone. Though really, he just wanted to be alone.   
  
And so, there he sat upon his horse, saying goodbye to Rivendell. Gandalf and Elrond were there to wish him well.   
  
"Tenna' ento lye omenta. (Until next we meet.)" Gandalf said solemnly. Legolas nodded.   
  
"Vanya sulie. (Fair winds.)" Elrond added. Again, he nodded.  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes, Legolas caught movement. It was Calenmir and Leyna, come to bid him farewell. Legolas dismounted and waited for them to approach him. Calenmir placed his right hand on Legolas's right shoulder. Legolas did the same.   
  
"Diolla lle (thank you). For bringing my family together, a short time though it was."   
  
"It would've found a way. With or without me." Calenmir nodded and stepped aside.  
  
Leyna shyly stepped forward, looking at her feet. Legolas placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up so he could look in her eyes. His heart lurched at the sight of her face. It was as if Jocelyn were standing in front of him. It hurt him too bad, he just wanted to run.   
  
But instead he whispered, "I am sorry, Leyna."   
  
"Me too." She whispered back, quaking voice, tears evident.  
  
With that, he mounted his horse again and without a look back, rode as fast as he could away from Rivendell.  
  
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Uh oh, right? Now what's gonna happen? Review, and you'll find out sooner!  
-Austin B.


	25. Home Bittersweet Home

Chapter 25 - Home Bittersweet Home  
"Calming Chaos"  
  
They had been riding for…how long, Jocelyn lost count. Not that it was that long, but that she was too distracted to keep track. Tyron kept her mind busy. He told of news from Mirkwood. How Silvana was doing and how much she missed her. But mostly, they joked and laughed and kept the conversation light.  
  
Until one day, Anna and Gaerlin were riding ahead silently, and Tyron and Jocelyn were laughing as usual, when they suddenly rode into a clearing. Jocelyn noticed the rock on the far side, and the color drained from her face. Tyron looked from her to the clearing, to her again.   
  
"This is it, isn't it?" He whispered. Jocelyn nodded.  
  
Anna dismounted, gathering her pack, and looked to her daughter to do the same. After a moment she complied, and began following her mother to the middle of the clearing. But Tyron quickly dismounted and stepped in front of her. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but was silenced by Jocelyn's gaze. Tyron wanted to tell her how much he loved her and how he would do anything to be with her, but he didn't have to. She knew.  
  
"Goodbye, Tyron. I'll never forget you." She leaned up to place a soft kiss on his fair cheek. With that, she walked around him, and to Gaerlin, whom she hugged. He smiled at her,  
  
"Don't forget what I told you. Face to the sunshine." She smiled back, and followed her mother to the middle of the clearing.  
  
Jocelyn had to admit, she was a bit afraid. More than a bit, actually. She didn't know what to expect; last time she went through the portal, she was unconscious.   
  
"How does this work?" She asked, when her mother stopped.   
  
"Just think about home." Then, Anna took Jocelyn's hand and closed her eyes. Jocelyn did the same.  
  
Suddenly, it seemed the ground beneath her disappeared. She was falling, and a tingling sensation engulfed her senses. But, as suddenly as it had disappeared, the ground beneath her reappeared. Afraid to open her eyes, she waited for her mother to speak.  
  
"Here we are." Anna said. Jocelyn fluttered her eyes open. She was at the bottom of a ravine. Pieces of junk were scattered around. From her jeep, she imagined. "Let's go home." Anna said, and began climbing up the steep hill to the road. Jocelyn followed.  
  
When they reached the road, they began walking. They walked and walked and walked until night started to set in. No cars had yet passed, and no words had yet been spoken. Until finally, Jocelyn's ears pricked up at the all too familiar sound of a vehicle engine.   
  
"Mom." Jocelyn said, to alert Anna of the car approaching. Much to Jocelyn's surprise, Anna stepped in the middle of the road.   
  
"Mom!" She exclaimed, and Anna growled back,   
  
"I'm sick of walking." The car slowed to a stop beside them, and the driver rolled down her window.   
  
"Is something wrong?" The kind looking woman asked. Anna talked with her for a moment, and Jocelyn tuned them out. She had turned her eyes to the stars. They looked the same as the stars she saw in Middle Earth, and she wondered if Legolas was looking at them, too.  
  
"Jocelyn!" Anna yelled, to get her attention. She snapped her head to the car, and saw her mother holding the back seat door open for her. Jocelyn climbed wearily in, as Anna took the passenger seat. Before long, the ramblings of her mother and the old woman, and the steady rumble of the engine put Jocelyn to sleep.  
  
"Wake up, sweetie." Her mother cooed to her. Jocelyn groggily lifted her head. "We're home." Jocelyn sat up and exited the vehicle as her mother thanked the woman again. The night was too dark to see the details of the house, but Jocelyn knew what it looked like. She could see the outline of the porch and imagined the vibrancy of the blue shutters against the white paint of the house.  
  
Anna led Jocelyn by the hand onto the porch and fumbled to find the spare key. Jocelyn just looked around, though not much could be seen. It didn't feel as good to be home as she thought it would. Her mother found the key and ushered Jocelyn indoors. Anna flicked on the lights and bustled about, while Jocelyn just stood there.  
  
She turned her head about, taking it in. This was where she had grown up. Silently, she climbed the stairs and placed her hand on the doorknob of the second door on the right. Her bedroom. With a deep breath, unsure why it was so hard, she stepped inside and flipped the light switch. Every trinket and stuffed animal that lay neatly in her room had a story. And she remembered every one of them.  
  
Sudden tears ran down her face, as she sat on her blue comforter and held her soft brown teddy bear. Sorrow weighed heavily on this time that should've been joyous for her. Because all she could think about was what she was missing. What she had left behind in Middle Earth. That thought stayed with her in the chaotic days that followed.  
  
Jocelyn stayed indoors mostly. Staring out the window, or sleeping to escape the pain. But sometimes, when they didn't have visitors, she'd sneak out on the porch swing, and just take in her surroundings. The cool Michigan breeze caressed her face, and she was glad it was familiar. But the sense of peace it had once given her long ago was gone. She could feel nothing anymore.  
  
Many times, Anna would watch Jocelyn. From the kitchen window, she'd see her daughter absently finger the star around her neck as she stared into the distance. Anna placed her hand on her own pendant, and looked down, as if to be sure it was still there. The silver metal that had shone so brightly from love before had now become dull and plain. The distance between the Merenfaers and their loved ones dampened the glow on the tokens.  
  
Their neighbors, relatives, and family friends had all come to check on her. Every person that came wanted to know her story. And every time, Jocelyn locked herself in her room and told her mother to make them go away. And she did.   
  
Of course, when Jocelyn's friends heard she was back, they all came. They were the only ones she'd speak with. One at a time, they fussed over her and asked her to tell them the story. Jocelyn would sigh and smile weakly before summarizing her tale.  
  
Not the real tale, of course. Anna and Jocelyn had rehearsed a story that they used to explain Jocelyn's disappearance. They kept as many facts in as they could without revealing their secret. They said Jocelyn had crashed, lost her memory, woke up in Buffalo, and spent about a week there before Anna found her.  
  
None dare ask more, for fear of upsetting her. Jocelyn was glad they left it at that. She didn't like having to lie to her friends. Her mother finally got her to agree to get checked out at the hospital. They took x-rays and cat scans and this and that until Jocelyn felt like a lab rat. They finally told her she was as healthy as a horse and let her go home.   
  
The commotion she had brought with her upon her return discomforted Jocelyn. But, she figured that, to a point, it was good. There were people in this world who cared enough about her to fuss over her. A lot of people. The thought reassured her that she had made the right decision. It calmed her nerves. But the 'calm' she experienced was not true calm. It was only calm in relativity to the upheaval of emotions she'd felt in previous days.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, Jocelyn was drifting further and further from reality. She spent more time in their back yard, and less inside. She said it felt better to be outdoors. Anna knew it was her subconscious trying to reconnect with the nature of Middle Earth. But she did not know what to do. She tried talking to her, but Jocelyn had nothing to say. She'd only stare up at the stars, or at the trees in the sunlight. Sometimes she sang. Most often it was a sad, haunting song about lost love…and rain:  
  
_Now there's all kinds of songs about babies and love that goes right  
But for some unknown reason nobody wants to play them tonight  
Hey I hope its sunny wherever you are  
That's sure not the picture tonight in my car  
  
And it sure ain't easin my pain all these songs like_  
_Rainy night in Georgia  
Kentucky rain  
There comes that rainy day feelin again  
Blue eyes cryin in the early morning rain  
  
They go on and on  
And there's no two the same  
Oh it would be easy to blame all these songs about rain  
  
Well I thought I was over you but I guess maybe I'm not  
Cause when I let you go looks like lonely is all that I got  
Guess I'll never know what could have been  
Sure ain't helping this mood that I'm in  
If they're gonna keep on playin these songs like  
  
Rainy night in Georgia  
Kentucky rain  
Here comes that rain y day feelin again  
Blue eyes cryin in the early morning rain  
  
They go on and on  
And there's no two the same  
Oh how I wish I could blame all these songs about rain_  
  
So, at her wit's end, Anna contacted her husband. She sat in her bedroom and held the star on the chain around her neck. Whispering Elvish words, she reached Calenmir.   
  
_"Mellamin? What is wrong? I sense trouble in you."_   
  
"It's Jocelyn. I think she's fading."   
  
_"Ai, as is Legolas…but she is half-Elf, and raised as human. How can she fade?"   
_  
"I don't know, but I can't let this happen. I'm sending her back."  
  
_"Are you sure?"_   
  
"Yes. If I don't, two innocents will die."   
  
_"Why not come with her, Anna?"_   
  
"Calenmir?"   
  
_"Come live in Rivendell with me. Our last meeting was too short and distracted by other business. We could be a family again."_   
  
"I tried that once, Calenmir. I can't bear to say goodbye again."  
  
_"I understand. Legolas should be in Mirkwood by now. Lago (Hurry), before it is too late. And know, if you change your mind, el suilanne an uir sí. Emelen ninnatha ir cenir adlen, meleth an cuilen (You are always welcome here. My heart shall weep until it sees you again, love of my life)."_  
  
"Ir adgevedim (Until next we meet). I love you still, Calenmir."  
  
_"And I you, Anna."_  
  
With that, their connection was broken, and Anna wept onto her pillows for her abandoned mate.  
  
"Mom? I heard you crying. What's wrong?" Jocelyn said from the doorway, making Anna jump.   
  
"Oh, Jocelyn." Anna's mind raced, trying to find words to tell her daughter. She wasn't sure how she'd react. If she'd be angry with her, happy, or if she'd not believe her and refuse to go. She hoped it was not the latter, but there was only one way to find out.   
  
-----------------------------------------  
  
A/N ha! Cliffhanger! Oh wow, I love it when I do that.   
  
This chapter contained "Songs about Rain" by Gary Allen  
  
--In Earth time, Jocelyn was gone for about a week. Though in Middle-Earth time, it was like…a few months.  
  
Thanks reviewers! **Crecy, loz-179, Nessa Inw**, and to my anonymous reviewer, I completely agree with you on Legolas's yummy-ness!   
  
**Siruiszsecretlover** - love you, and your enthusiastic review, and your story…and well, you! Did I say that already? Lol keep reviewing!!!! : )  
  
**Moonbunny77** - I got real ambitious one day and figured out that in Middle earth, 47.72 years pass for every year in Earth. I don't know if it's right, really, and I don't know how to break it down further into weeks and days, but I was proud of myself for even that. (Algebra was never a strong subject for me)  
  
=Austin B.


	26. Home

A/N…first of all let me apologize PROFUSELY for the delay in this update. You know that friend from Cali that I told you about? Yeah, I've been with her just about 24/7 for the past week. Hey, she was only here 2 weeks, we had to party it up while we could! But, she left today and I'll be much more focused…except that this is the last chapter. Hence the title.  
  
Chapter 26 - Home  
"The End"  
  
-------Last Chapter-------  
  
"Mom? I heard you crying. What's wrong?" Jocelyn said from the doorway, making Anna jump.   
  
"Oh, Jocelyn." Anna's mind raced, trying to find words to tell her daughter. She wasn't sure how she'd react. If she'd be angry with her, happy, or if she'd not believe her and refuse to go. She hoped it was not the latter, but there was only one way to find out.  
  
-------Now--------  
  
"You need to go." Anna said simply. Jocelyn turned around and was about to leave the room when she called her back. "Not out of this room…to Middle Earth…to him." Jocelyn sat next to Anna on the bed. Her eyes narrowed in thought.   
  
"Why? Why are you saying this?" She snapped, as if Anna had offended her.   
  
"I thought it would be better for you here. But now I know, wherever he is, is where you belong. I'm sorry I cheated you of your destiny. But I'm making it right, now. Go to him. But hurry, he may not be there for you to go to."   
  
Jocelyn's face twisted in confusion, "What?"   
  
"Oh, I forget you don't know Elves. Legolas has found his match in you. And once they find their match, Elves cannot be without them, or they will die of grief…of a broken heart. And even you, a half-Elf, felt the pain of separation from your soul mate. I was afraid I'd lose you as well."  
  
Jocelyn had to remind herself to breathe, "You want me to go back?"   
  
"You must go back." Anna corrected. A sudden smile crept onto Jocelyn's face, and her breathing quickened. She would've taken off, and run all the way to Mirkwood Palace, had Anna not clamped a strong hand on her arm. "Now, wait. Don't get too excited, let me pack you a bag."  
  
-------  
  
While Anna hurried about the house, packing clothes and supplies, Jocelyn followed. She hung two steps behind Anna, silently rushing her, and wringing her hands. The stupid smile had not left her lips.   
  
"Hurry, mom!" She'd say, every now and then. Always replied by,   
  
"I am! I am!" and the occasional, "Shut Up! Don't rush me!" To which Jocelyn burst into excited giggles.  
  
Anna threw the bag in the car while saying, "Now, you be careful and drive slow! You don't want what happened last time to happen again." Jocelyn jumped behind the wheel, rolled down her window and called her mother over. Suddenly calm, she said,   
  
"I love you, momma. I don't know if I'll see you again, but thank you for making me the person I am. And for watching out for me." Anna, unable to speak, kissed Jocelyn and watched from the porch as she drove away.  
  
Her mind was a blur as she drove along the highway. She heeded her mother's advice and drove slow. About ten feet from the bridge above the portal, where she crashed, she stopped. With her bag, she walked down the hill and into the ravine, where chunks of her jeep still lay.   
  
"Just think about home." Jocelyn repeated her mother's words to herself as she closed her eyes and breathed deep.  
  
The same sensation of tingling and falling came over her, and when she became steady again, she opened her eyes. All apprehension she may have harbored was gone, and she laughed. Mirkwood forest was around her. She was so close.  
  
As Jocelyn ran through the forest toward the palace, she prayed to God she wasn't too late. If she came to the palace and found Legolas dead of a broken heart, she'd never forgive herself, and probably die as well.  
  
Hope is mostly what she felt, as she flew through the trees. Branches whipped and cut her face, but she didn't care. The wind created by her speed stung her eyes, causing tears to emerge, blurring her vision.   
  
During her sprint to the palace, she stopped a total of three times. Each for only 5 minutes or less. Until finally, she came out of the woods into the clearing. Upon seeing the palace so near, Jocelyn let out a cry of joy. She continued running to the gates, and would've sped past the guards, had they not stepped in front of her and sent her flying back onto her bottom.  
  
"HEY! HEY! LET ME IN!" Jocelyn shouted, as she collected her bag and scrambled back to her feet. The guards simply stared at her sternly. "Please! Tell Prince Legolas I'm here! Jocelyn Merenfaer! Please, tell him!" One of the guards looked to the other, and said something quickly in Elvish that Jocelyn did not understand. She hadn't had any Elvish lessons in a long time.  
  
"What's your business in Mirkwood, Miss Jocelyn Merenfaer?"   
  
"I need to see the Prince!…He is okay, isn't he?"   
  
"I am sorry, Miss. We cannot let you inside without official business." An idea sprung at Jocelyn from nowhere.   
  
"TYRON!" She shouted. "Get Tyron! He knows me! Tell him Kamilah is here." The guards looked at each other, considering the idea.   
  
"Oh, Kamilah. I remember you, now."  
  
Jocelyn was nearly sent into a fit of screams and jumps. The Elf that recognized her opened the gate, and was going to escort her to the palace, but she bolted past him.   
  
"Hey! Wait!" She heard him shout from behind her, but she paid no heed. Rushing up the steps, she vaulted herself onto the heavy wooden door, expecting it to yield.  
  
But it didn't.  
  
With a grunt of pain, she fell back onto her bottom, once again. Her head spun, and dots blotted her eyes. Due to her delay at the door, the guard caught up with her. She heard him stifling chuckles as he asked,   
  
"Kamilah, are you alright?" Climbing slowly to her knees, then standing upright she placed a hand on her forehead and one out to balance her and replied,   
  
"Am yes fine I. Fine I yes am." She clenched a hand in frustration.  
  
The guard narrowed his eyes at her. 'That didn't sound quite right.' he thought. But, his concerns were silenced when she gathered her pack once again and asked him meekly,   
  
"Will you please open the door for me?" This time, his chuckles could not be stifled. Through the tears of mirth that welled in his eyes, he opened the door for her, and followed her through it.  
  
Inside, the guard led her to a small room with dim candles and tapestries lining the walls. Jocelyn looked like she was on a nice caffeine high. She could not stop shaking, a huge grin was fixed onto her face, and her eyes were wide. At every sound she heard, she's gasp and jump. The guard was becoming a bit unnerved by her. He was going to get the Prince for her as she'd asked, but now he was not too sure. He decided to send Tyron in first.  
  
"Wait here." He said. "Tyron will be in shortly."  
  
"No!" She suddenly shrieked. "Legolas! I must see him!"   
  
But the guard was already gone. The door shut heavily and ominously behind him, and Jocelyn sank into one of the intricately carved wooden chairs. It was only a few moments that she was alone, but it felt like an eternity to one seeking a missed love. Jocelyn's breath became even again, and she stopped shaking. But her jumpiness did not cease.  
  
The door opened again, and Jocelyn leapt from her chair. Her look of hope was dashed when Tyron walked through the door.   
  
"Kamilah!" He exclaimed excitedly, a grin taking over his face. "Err…Jocelyn." He corrected himself. "What are you doing here?" She sighed, knowing her next statement would hurt him.   
  
"I came to see Legolas."  
  
She was right. Tyron cast his gaze to the floor, resembling a scolded child. The pain he felt, and the yearning to be with this woman was more intense than anything he'd ever felt before. Because of this, he did something he would normally never, ever do.  
  
He lied.  
  
"Jocelyn, it is regretful that I must be the one to tell you this, but…Legolas does not wish to see you." Jocelyn's expression was unchanged for a moment, then her jaw dropped.   
  
"What do you mean?" Tyron stepped into her and took her hands in his, smiling sympathetically.   
  
"You left him. He does not want to see you." Jocelyn jerked her hands from his and backed away.   
  
"No. It can't be. He loves me." The deepest fear she had ever felt flooded her body, and her stomach sank.  
  
Tyron shook his head sadly. "I am sorry. But I know this."  
  
With that, Jocelyn tore from the room. She ran, heedless of her direction, down long gray corridors. Around countless corners and past limitless doors she ran, blinded by stinging tears of ache. She had been so hopeful. So happy to come back and be reunited with her love. They were supposed to live happily until the end of their days. Jocelyn slowed to a stop and sank down against the cold stone wall. There was only one thing she could do now…  
  
Go home.  
  
There was nothing left for her here. She curled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly. Resting her forehead on her knees, she wept. What had she done to deserve so much pain? She recalled a passage that her mother had quoted to her one day, as she sat in her backyard, being consumed by the pain of lost love, as she was now.   
  
_"From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."_ Anna had said.   
  
"Lead me." Jocelyn begged, in barely a whisper. She felt suddenly compelled to get up and walk. To feel the sunshine on her face. So, unsure of her direction, Jocelyn let an unseen force guide her feet to what she hoped was an exit. A way home, away from the anguish.  
  
She walked for a short time, and the drive she felt had not decreased, when she saw light at the end of the hallway she had turned into. With a sigh of relief, she walked quicker toward it, but stopped abruptly as a shadow appeared in the arch of sunshine at the end of the hall. Her half-Elven eyes could not make out details of the figure's features, but for some reason her heartbeat increased madly.  
  
Curious as to why this sensation was caused, she began warily again toward the shadow. And, she perceived, the shadow moved toward her as well.   
  
-------  
  
At first glance down the dark hallway, his heart leapt and he thought it was Jocelyn. But, the rationality of his mind took over, and he figured it was Leyna. For what reason she'd come to Mirkwood, he did not know, but it seemed more sense than Jocelyn returning. But, as she moved down the hallway, he was obliged to move closer to her as well. There was something different about her…  
  
And his heart leapt again. It was her!   
  
"Jocelyn!" He exclaimed. She gasped audibly and yelled back,   
  
"Legolas!" He rushed to her, and she to him. But she stopped when they were but two feet apart. Her expression was grave and sullen, and he wondered if she had not come back to be with him.   
  
But his heart lifted when she asked, "Will you forgive me? For leaving you."   
  
"Of course!" He breathed, with a smile. Slowly, she reached her hand to his face, and stood on her toes to press her lips lightly to his. Feeling her warmth and touch, as he had wished for so many days, Legolas could not help himself.   
  
He wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist and kissed her deeply. The intense desire that emanated from him made her knees weak. Wordlessly, he begged her for more. The request was gladly granted, and she pressed her body harder against him. This act was rewarded as Legolas let out a deep whimper into her mouth.  
  
Legolas realized to his dismay, that if he did not stop then, he would never stop. So, he pulled away. Still as close to him as physically possible, without being incredibly scandalous in the middle of a hallway, Jocelyn's eyes flamed with desire. Legolas smiled impishly at the effect he had on her, knowing full well that same desire was reflected in his own eyes.  
  
"How was home?" He whispered, their lips so close that he could feel her breath upon his own. She looked deep in his eyes, knowing all the answers and happiness lay in them before replying with a smile,   
  
"You tell me. I was in Michigan."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
End  
  
A/N.. this has got to be my favorite chapter. What with Jocelyn running into Elves and doors and all. I am so incredibly proud of this story and I hope you got into it as much as I did.  
  
**Orangeblossom07** - thanks bunches!  
  
**Katja **(was that a typo?) - thanks for the compliment on the song thing. I'm real glad you like it. And I agree that it makes it seem more real, because songs are real powerful and they send a potent message.   
  
**Erica** - Several people have suggested a Leyna/Tyron thing. I actually did think about that, and I'll address it in the sequel. P.S, did you like my happy ending?  
  
**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko** - sorry I made you cry. There there. -pats shoulder- Hope you're happier now!  
  
**Nessa Inwe** (toothpaste? NOOOOO! Lol)  
  
**loz-179, Crecy, GoAchmed, siriuszsecretlover, childofgod-4e**ver  
  
-If anyone can identify the show that I stole my last line from will get a batch-full of Jocelyn and Legolas cookies!-  
  
Starting out, I was not going to write a sequel to this, but there is just so much more that I can do! So now, there will be a sequel, no questions asked. I don't know what the title will be yet, but I will post a note on this story with more information. Please review with suggestions!  
  
_From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I._  
_- Psalm 61:2_  
  
-love, hugs, and kisses-  
  
Austin B.


	27. Austin's Notes

Chapter 27 - Austin's Notes  
"Thanks and Spoilers"  
  
Hey everyone. Fanfiction.net doesn't really want authors posting notes as separate chapters, but I'm gonna do it anyway.  
  
First of all, I was absolutely floored by all the support I got for my sequel. I'd like to take a moment to thank my last reviewers:  
  
**Orangeblossom07** - thanks so much!  
  
**GoAchmed** - thanks for complimenting the verse thing. That was a very experimental practice and I'm glad you liked it. I may just continue including them, as well as songs. And I'll definitely take your advice about the Leyna/Tyron thing (if that even occurs! I don't want to give away too much yet.)  
  
**Radioactive care bears in the freezer** - First of all, why the hell are there care bears in your freezer? You sicko! And why are they radioactive? Did you live on three mile island? : ) I don't know if that was a good review or not, but I think you've reviewed my story before, so I'm guessing you like it, if you read it all the way to the end. So thanks!  
  
**Siriuszsecretlover** - -winks- I'll talk to _you_ later.  
  
**Nessa Inwe** - was that a guess to what show my last line was from? If it was -makes annoying buzzer sound- Sorry, wrong answer. But thanks for your very kind review. I'm glad I touched you. (not in that way you perverts) lol But really I am glad you got into the story, and I'm crackin the whip on my sequel already, even though I may start a project with siriuszsecretlover soon, and I am currently working on the sequel to Of Friends and Lovers (Of Princes and Paupers) -sighs- Me and my multiple projects.  
  
**Tasyin** - lol thank you. Yes, I love country and the genre gives us so many beautiful, deep and meaningful songs that were just perfect for relaying the feelings I wanted to for that moment in the story.  
  
**Katja** - well, don't I feel like an ass…lol. German, hey? I like it. And thanks!  
  
**MIlKyWay-xD** - thanks, and don't worry about Tyron. Look out for the sequel, and you'll find out!  
  
**Chibi Chingo** - I appreciate your enthusiasm! You can settle down, the sequel is coming. The gears are turning already, even though I have about 3 other stories swirling in my mind just screaming for attention.  
  
**Banana4422**  
  
and  
  
**Zeldagrl436  
**  
Now, about this sequel business, you can check my profile sometime in the next few weeks and I'll probably have the first chapter up.  
  
The sequel will have to do with Jocelyn and Legolas's life and how they'll deal with the consequences of their relationship. After all, she is half-Elf, and I've learned that Elves don't usually associate with half-Elves or humans.  
  
-throws cape over shoulder and holds up magic wand- Twists and turns around every corner! Come to me! Read, review, and be merry! Or…be shocked! Muahahahaha -ahem-  
  
Anyway, thanks again, and be sure to check my profile for the upcoming sequel!!

"Ladies and gentlemen, as I usually say at the close of most programs, I wish you everything you want in life for yourselves and your families. Lotsa huggin and kissin and sweet dreams...and God bless." - Frank Sinatra  
  
Good things,  
-Austin B.


	28. Great News!

My book, The Sham, is on sale!!

This is the URL:

http://www.publishamerica. com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?page130

Except without the space between the . and the com.

Just copy and paste that sucker into your browser and my book is about halfway down the page. Or you can go to publishamerica. com and search for my name: Nicole Schnurer. It should be available on Amazon. com in a few weeks, too. !!I"m so excited!! And I'm really happy that some of my fellow ff.n peeps have shown interest! And I really hope some of you give it a chance. It's worth it!

A.B.

Nicki S.


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